UFC head Dana White says vaccine mandate ‘never gonna happen’

UFC President Dana White says there will be never be a coronavirus vaccine mandate in the sport.

In a recent interview with Canadian sports network TSN, White told host Aaron Bronsteter that it’s the fighter’s choice on whether he or she should get vaccinated. 

“I would never tell another human being what to do with their body,” White said. “If you want to get vaccinated, that’s up to you. That’s your choice. You’re never gonna hear me say, I’m gonna force people to get vaccinated. Never gonna happen.”

White, a longtime friend of former President Trump who spoke at last year’s Republican National Convention, said a lot of people are instituting mandates, denouncing those efforts.

“They’re telling you in New York you can’t go into a restaurant or a gym unless you’re vaccinated and can prove it and things like that. Some people are getting fired if they don’t get vaccinated. Yeah, that’s not gonna happen here. You wanna get vaccinated? Get vaccinated. If you don’t, that’s your decision, your body,” he said.

The comments come after the NFL sent out a memo last month to its 32 teams advising them to get vaccinated against the virus or face penalties — potentially including forfeiting games — over COVID-19 outbreaks. 

The highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, which is sending case counts and hospitalizations climbing again, is fueling the debate over who gets to demand vaccination. Mandates from hospitals and colleges have already begun facing legal challenges.