UFC president Dana White on condemning Covington's controversial remarks: 'We don't muzzle anybody here'

UFC fighter Colby Covington has found himself facing intense criticism from the media and his fellow fighters after making racist comments following his fight with Tyron Woodley. But it appears UFC president Dana White has Covington's back, as he said that UFC does not "muzzle" its fighters, allowing them to express their opinions.

"These guys all have their own causes, things, their own beliefs. We don't muzzle anybody here," White said. "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."

It's not clear if White had not heard what Covington said or just didn't find it racist but if it's the latter, it's a pretty disturbing response given Covington's blatantly offensive comments. Along with calling Woodley "a communist, a Marxist, [someone] standing up for lifelong criminals," he got into an exchange with welterweight champion Kamara Usman where he asked Usman, who is from Nigeria, if he got a call from his "little tribe" using "smoke signals."

While White said he would not tolerate racism, his silence here seems to speak volumes towards either his hypocrisy or ignorance. Several fighters spoke out against Covington, including middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who revealed Covington has previously made offensive comments towards him.

"This guy [Covington] has directly insulted my culture, my brother and many other cultures, and no one says anything, but it just shows you a mirror," Adesanya said. "Shows you a mirror to you guys."