White addresses Covington's comments: UFC won't 'muzzle anybody'

Dana White reacted to Colby Covington's recent comments, which many other fighters found to be racist, during UFC 253 media day, saying the UFC wouldn't reprimand the former interim welterweight champion.

"These guys all have their own causes, things, their own beliefs," White told reporters on Thursday, according to ESPN. "We don't muzzle anybody here. We let everybody speak their mind. I don't know what he said that was racist. I don't know if I heard anything racist that he said."

When asked if he agrees it's wrong for fighters to make racist remarks, the UFC president added "Of course, c'mon. I'm not going to play these games with you guys."

Covington called the Black Lives Matter movement a "complete sham" while also associating it with terrorism after beating Tyron Woodley in last weekend's UFC Fight Night main event.

"Chaos" also engaged in a heated discussion with Kamaru Usman, who was born in Nigeria. Covington asked the current welterweight champion if he received calls from his "little tribe" using "smoke signals."

White previously stated the UFC doesn't plan to censor Covington or any other fighter. Reebok, the promotion's apparel partner, disapproved of the 32-year-old's remarks.