When Cris “Cyborg” Justino laid hands on Angela Magana at the recent UFC Athlete Retreat many people wondered what the big deal was. After all, fighters getting into pushing and shoving matches and such all the time at press conferences and weigh-ins.
UFC president Dana White, however, had a different take on the situation.
“This is the real world. Now, when you’re in that Octagon, almost anything goes. When you’re at a (expletive) fighter retreat nothing goes,” White said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast.
“You can hate Cyborg. You can love Cyborg. You can hate Angela Magana. You can love Angela Magana. You can’t put your hands on another human being oustide of the (Octagon). It is assault. You will get arrested.”
The incident occurred outside the fighter hotel during the UFC Athlete Retreat. Cyborg confronted Magana about the latter’s constant trolling of Cyborg via her social media accounts. The argument quickly escalated and Cyborg punched Magana in the face. A video of Cyborg punching Magana was later released via YouTube.
Cyborg was later charged with misdemeanor battery, but Magana wanted more. She continued railing on Cyborg via social medial, continued talking to the District Attorney about increasing the severity of the charge against Cyborg, and said that she had retained a lawyer with the intent to sue Cyborg.
This also was no surprise to White, who said that Cyborg picked the wrong fighter to assault.
“Over 300 fighters at this thing, you picked the wrong one to punch,” he said. “Because (Magana) isn’t gonna say ahhh we had a beef, we squashed it, it’s cool. She’s not that type of person. She is gonna go after Cyborg as hard as she can.
“I’m not sitting here like Mr. I Take the High Road because I never take the high road, but you can’t go and assault somebody.”
