UFC boss Dana White expressed disagreement with conservatives and his White House allies who are advocating for ‘cancel culture’ against liberals celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death.

White, a friend and supporter of Donald Trump similar to Kirk, was questioned about whether his fighters could face consequences for social media comments.

‘I’m a big believer in free speech, and unfortunately probably the most important speech to protect is hate speech,’ White said.

CBS News reporter Jon Wertheim then stated White wasn’t ‘a fan of cancel culture.’

He responded, ‘No. I hate it. On both sides. It’s like all the stuff happening with Charlie right now—people are making statements and facing consequences like being fired or expelled.’

White maintained his contempt for those who may celebrate Kirk’s death but he didn’t believe in ruining their lives.  

‘I think it’s reprehensible to celebrate someone’s death, but people make mistakes and dumb decisions. I don’t agree with ruining lives over a foolish act,’ he commented.

There is a rising concern among conservatives regarding the intense efforts to identify and expose liberals who made offensive remarks about the deceased activist Charlie Kirk.

Their insensitive and cruel comments have raised an internal debate about whether the retaliation effort is morally justified or dangerously hypocritical. 

Among the loudest critics is conservative commentator Raquel Debono, who took to Instagram to question whether the right’s efforts to get political opponents fired from their jobs are ‘Christian’ or even consistent with conservative values.

Debono argued that it was not – and warned that conservatives indulging in this kind of ‘cancel culture’ were in fact betraying their own principles. 

He was in part referring to conservative speaker Olivia Krolczyk who claims to have contacted more than 470 employers in the days since Kirk was killed. 

The controversy has exposed a raw and growing divide within the conservative movement between those who believe the left should be fought using any available tactic, and those who believe mimicry of progressive ‘cancel culture’ undermines the moral authority of the right.

UFC Commissioner White spoke on a podcast just days after Kirk died to share his reaction: ‘I just woke up, and my phone was blowing up. I was f***ing blown away.

‘I was actually surprised by how impacted my kids were. My kids used to watch him on social media. 

‘My daughter, she’s 19, she’s in college, and she’s been just destroyed over this thing for the last couple days. You have to feel horrible for his family. It’s f***ing crazy’.

Kirk and White had previously been seen together back in August 2023 after the conservative commentator shared a photo of them side-by-side. 

In the caption, he wrote: ‘Dana White is based, and he’s the best president of any sports league anywhere in the world. Honored he has our back’.

The UFC paid tribute to Kirk at their ‘UFC Noche’ event on Saturday night.

Trump and White, meanwhile, have enjoyed a close friendship for well over 20 years after the real estate mogul hosted two UFC events at his now-defunct Atlantic City casino in the early 2000s.

Over the past two decades White has repaid the American tycoon by remaining loyal to him throughout his various political campaigns, even speaking at several Republican National Conventions to endorse him as US president. 

Trump also invited White to the onstage victory party following his election triumph last November, where the UFC chief launched into a victory speech.

Trump and White have been working together recently to plan a historic UFC fight card that will be hosted on the lawn of the White House. 

‘The fight will happen on the South Lawn of the White House,’ the UFC chief confirmed during a guest appearance on Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson’s Nightcap podcast. 

‘Do you know what is probably the most bada** thing about that?’ he continued. ‘The fighters will actually walk from the Oval Office into the Octagon.’ 

White met with Trump at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the end of August to cement the details for the unique fight night, including the exclusive capacity for the event. 

The UFC head honcho told CBS that ‘everybody wants to fight on the card’ that night.