Dana White has announced UFC stars will not be forced to take the coronavirus vaccine.
The President of the mixed martial arts organisation will not follow in the footsteps of the NFL, who have made it compulsory for players to get the jab in order to play next season.
The 52-year-old spoke to TSN and explained the reasons behind his decision.
“I would never tell another human being what to do with their body", he said.
“If you want to get vaccinated, that's up to you. That's your choice.
”You're never going to hear me say I'm going to force people to get vaccinated. Never gonna happen.”
He continued: “I think a lot of people are doing that, they're telling you in New York [City] 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.
“That's not going to happen here [in the UFC]. If you want to get vaccinated… get vaccinated. If you don't, that's your decision, your body.”
Dana also hopes his former fighter Vitor Belfort can "viciously" knock out Oscar De La Hoya when the two men meet in a boxing match next month.
De La Hoya will fight Belfort at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September 11. The fight, which was originally announced as an exhibition, will be over eight two-minute rounds.
White and De La Hoya's feud dates back to 2017 when 'The Golden Boy' criticised Conor McGregor 's venture into boxing to secure a big payday against Floyd Mayweather. The two have never seen eye-to-eye since.
De La Hoya has slammed White for the current state of UFC fighter pay, whilst White has mocked the former boxing champion for his past drug and alcohol addiction.
And of the fight, White told Pat McAfee: "I'm praying Vitor knocks this c******** out, and viciously knocks him out."
Despite his hatred for De La Hoya, White did pay respect to his skills as a boxer.
“But as much as I can’t stand that dirt bag, De La Hoya is legit. Back in the day when me and De La Hoya were cool, I actually was up in his camp. Just his jab could knock people out," he continued.
"De La Hoya in his prime was the real deal. This is a real fight between two real guys. I think that Vitor obviously has the power to KO him, but De La Hoya’s no joke, either.”
