UFC CEO Dana White announced that the ban on flags inside the Octagon is officially over.
Following Saturday night’s event inside The APEX, White confirmed that the ban on fighters carrying flags out with them was no longer in effect.
“Flags are back,” White told reporters during the UFC Vegas 80 post-fight press event. “I was on vacation during the Mexican Independence Day, and the no flag thing drove me crazy. So I was like, ‘Yeah, f*ck that. We’re bringing flags back.’ It drove me crazy.”
Dana White: Flags are back. If any flags hurt your feelings too fucking bad.#UFC pic.twitter.com/npM6sNCmMG
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 8, 2023
Fans first noticed the return of flags following Karolina Kowalkiewicz’s unanimous decision victory against Diana Belbita. It became much more apparent that the ban had been lifted when Joe Pyfer went on a pro-America rant following his submission victory over Abdul Razak Alhassan with the stars and stripes firmly draped over his shoulders.
Dana White No Longer Cares If Certain Flags Offend You
White added that the ban, which was first introduced in May 2022 on the heels of the Russia-Ukraine war, was not something he was entirely against, but decided to reverse the decision following the promotion’s first-ever event celebrating Mexican Independence Day, Noche UFC, in September.
“There’s a lot of things that go on in a company this big,” White said. “You can’t micromanage everything. Sometimes things are done for the intentions of the right reasons, or whatever. Everybody in this room knows the way that I feel about a lot of things. Basically, ‘I don’t give a f*ck,’ is the answer to most things.
“Everybody’s too soft, everybody’s too sensitive about everything. When the decision was made to do this, I was just like, ‘Eh, what’s the big deal if they don’t have flags?’ Mexican Independence Day flipped the switch and I was like, ‘That’s enough of the no flags thing.’ Flags are back. If any flags hurt your feelings, too f*cking bad.”
Watch Dana White’s full appearance at the UFC Vegas 80 post-fight press conference below:
