Maine’s Dana White Defends Bud Light Amid Controversial Boycott

Dana White is no stranger to fights, but this time, he's the one blocking shots and throwing some of his own.

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Earlier this year, Bud Light's collaboration with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked controversy, leading to a boycott by some in April 2023. The boycott targeted Anheuser-Busch products, specifically Bud Light, the top beer brand in the United States.

Despite the controversy, not everyone is turning their back on the beer brand. Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a resident of Levant, Maine, recently encouraged Americans to continue enjoying Bud Light in an interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson, who is also a Maine resident with a home in Bryant Pond, part of Woodstock.

White stated, "If you consider yourself a patriot, you should be drinking gallons of Bud Light."

White's support comes in the wake of a recent partnership. In October, Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, entered into a multiyear partnership deal with the UFC. Starting in the new year, Bud Light will be the exclusive beer sponsor for the fighting organization.

According to Yahoo! Finance, Anheuser-Busch experienced a significant 20% drop in its stock over two months after a social media promotion of Bud Light by Mulvaney on April 1. This resulted in a substantial loss of market capitalization. However, since late October, the stock has been making a comeback and is currently trading at $62.05 per share, reflecting a 4% increase for the year. Notably, around 80% of Anheuser-Busch's markets saw revenue growth.

White's stance is in line with Kid Rock's evolving perspective on the beer. Although Rock was among the first to declare a boycott of Bud Light, he told Tucker Carlson on his show that Bud Light "deserved a black eye, and they got one" for the partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. However, he added that he's now over the boycott, stating, "So, do I want to hold their head underwater and drown them because they made a mistake? No, I think they got the message."

Only time will tell if White's stance further impacts Bud Light's parent company.