Did Dana Hit in Self-Defense?

On New Year's Eve, Dana White and his wife engaged in a physical altercation that stunned spectators in a busy Cabo San Lucas nightclub. Dana regrettably blames alcohol for slapping his wife.

The 26-year-married UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) boss and Anne White were having a good time on Saturday night with pals at El Squid Roe, a famous party spot in Mexico, but things changed not long after they all rang in 2023 at midnight.

When Dana leaned over to speak to Anne while they were in a VIP section above the dance floor, she smacked him across the face. Dana hit her back in the face right away. Friends then intervened and pulled them apart, all in full view of the customers below. Dana hit her back in the face right away. Someone captured the altercation with his wife on video. Did Dana hit in self defense?

The footage supports the notion that Dana and wife Anne were both intoxicated before the fighting started since things suddenly moved from bad to worse — seemingly without rhyme or reason. Furthermore, it appears they resolved it in less than a minute.

Blame It on the Alcohol

UFC President Dana White said that he and Anne had been drinking considerably, but he swiftly added that there was no justification for him acting violently. "You've heard me say for years, 'There's never ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,'" Dana said.

He claims that this "horrible" situation has embarrassed him, and he and Anne have both apologized to one another. He claims that while they are "good," their main concern right now is for their three children, with whom they have previously discussed the argument.

Meanwhile, Anne stated, "Dana and I have been married for almost 30 years. To say this is out of character for him is an understatement -- nothing like this has ever happened before. Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve, and things got out of control on both sides. We’ve talked this through as a family and apologized to each other. I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids."

Jay Z and Chris Rock Remain Calm

Remember back in 2014, the rapper, Jay Z, was physically attacked by Beyonce’s sister, Solange. The surveillance video showed her hitting and kicking him until security grabbed her. Jay Z didn’t hit her back, he just did his best to block the blows.

During the Oscars last year, actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face. Chris could have slapped back; instead, he just carried on with the show.

Perhaps that is what Dana should have done, and he would not be accused of domestic violence.

What Is Domestic Battery?

Under Indiana law, an act is considered domestic battery when a person who knowingly or intentionally:

(1) touches a family or household member in a rude, insolent, or angry manner; ?or

(2) in a rude, insolent, or angry manner places any bodily fluid or waste on a family or household member;

commits domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.

Interestingly, she says it was “out of character” for him. Was it not out of character for her? Her statement reads like that of a classic abused spouse. She defends him hitting her but says nothing about how it hurts her. She didn’t give a reason for why she initially slapped him. Maybe this is entirely out of character for him or both of them. But is it possible that you would be charged with Domestic Battery in Indiana if a similar event occurred between you and your spouse? Absolutely!

We represented many clients who were charged with Domestic Battery even though their spouse hit them first.

What Is Self-Defense?

Under Indiana law, a person is justified in using reasonable force against any other person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force.

This means that if someone perceives that they are about to suffer bodily injury, they may act with justifiable force to repel the attack and prevent further harm. However, this force must be proportionate to the threat — meaning that you cannot use more force than necessary for self-defense. Furthermore, Indiana law defines self-defense as an act done in reasonable belief of imminent use of unlawful force.

In this case, it appears that Dana did not hit first or intend to cause excessive force against his wife. The video seems to show she slapped him first, then he slapped her back, and it does not show him repeatedly punching or hitting her. He could definitely make the argument that it was self-defense.