Skip to content

White: Nelson 'can't apologize,' he 'needs to be buried' for pushing referee

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA TODAY

Roy Nelson can defend his push of referee John McCarthy all he wants, but Dana White isn't having any of it.

The UFC president appeared on Tuesday's edition of the promotion's Unfiltered podcast to address Nelson's push kick of McCarthy in protest to an alleged late stoppage at UFC Fight Night 95 in Brazil on Saturday. The heavyweight vet has since apologized, but stands by his decision.

White condemned Nelson's behavior in his typically expletive-laced manner.

"You can’t apologize for that," White said, according to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. "You don’t ever, ever put your f--king hands on a referee, or your feet, for any reason what-so-f--king-ever. You don’t do it. He needs to be buried. He went over there and he put his foot on his ass to like push him over, you know what I mean? Was flipping him off, yelling whatever. You wanna flip a ref off, there is never, ever a situation where you put your f--king hands on a referee. Ever. You can’t apologize for that."

Nelson's actions are being reviewed – and could be disciplined – by the Brazilian Superior Justice Court of Sport.

White said he hoped the commission made an example of "Big Country."

"I’ve been traveling since the fight so I haven’t seen what’s going on, but if the Brazilian athletic commission doesn’t reign on him, man, it’s not good. You don’t ever put your hands on a referee. I don’t care what the circumstances are, you don’t do. And listen, we don’t always agree with them, we have our favorites, we have our least favorites, (Steve) Mazzagatti, you know. The guy, no matter how good or whatever you feel about him, they are there for your safety. They are there to keep you safe. F--king, that dope isn’t the … you know what I mean?"

The heavyweight argued post-fight Silva was unconscious long before McCarthy ended the fight.

Nelson's claim only fueled White's fury.

"This guy is the f--king judge of when a fight should or shouldn’t be stopped? You’re a fighter, you go until the referee tells you to stop. John McCarthy is very qualified in what he does, he’s been here a lot longer than f--king Roy Nelson has been. And for Roy Nelson to go over and put his f--king hands on a referee, it can’t happen. It can never happen. But John is sitting there in his knees, tending to Bigfoot, and you come up behind him and f--king kick him? It’s despicable, it’s disgusting, it can never f--king happen, ever again."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox