WetriedtogettheBeastieBoystoplayfor
usandtheywouldn’t,butIwouldnevernotbea
fanoftheBeastieBoysbecauseoftheirpolitical
views.I’mnotthattypeofperson.Therearea
lotofpeoplewhodon’tseeeye-to-eyewithme
politically, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to
respectthemornotgoingtobefriendswith
them,ornotgoingtolistentotheirmusicor
whatever it might be. That’s when the world
startsgettingcrazy;whenyoustartjudging
people because of their political views, that’s
somewackyshitandIwouldneverdothat.
Everybody’s entitled to his or her own opinion,
that’s what’s so great about living in America.
You can have your own opinions. If you
don’t like the UFC, don’t watch the UFC,
buttheUFCcanstillgoon.
GQ: Sports and politics have always been
inseparable,butnowmorethaneverthetwo
areintertwined.HowistheUFCnavigating
the current political climate in the US?
DW:It really hasn’t been a problem. We don’t
dothenationalanthem.OneofthethingsI
hatedaboutboxingwasyouwouldhavetoplay
everybody’snationalanthembeforetheight,
andyou’dhavetositthereduringivenational
anthems, so we stopped doing it early on
because this is a very international sport.GQ:Soitsupersedes nationality
in many ways.
DW:We’ve never rea l ly at t acked each ot her
overpoliticalviews,religiousviewsor
anything like that. I’m a pretty opinionated
guyonalotofthings,butwhenitcomesto
religionandpolitics,toeachhisown.And
I’mnotaRepublican.I’mneither,I’malways
for the best person, whoever the best person
is–that’swhereIvote.Therearealotof
thingsaboutmethatareRepublicanand
therearealotofthingsaboutmethatare
Democratic,soyouknow,Idon’tlookat
oneside.Ithinktherearealotofthings
ontheDemocratsidethatarenuttyashell.
AndIthinktherearealotofthingsonthe
Republican side that are nutty as hell,
soI’minthemiddle.
GQ:Iknowyoutalkedaboutgettingbackto
boxingpromoting—isthat still something
you’relookingtodo?
DW:Yeah,we’relookingatthatandI’mkind
of kicking the tyres and poking around.
Boxing is a pretty fucked up sport.
GQ: How so?
DW:Everything is fucked up about it:
sanctioning organisations, the ighters.
These ighters – you have the guys at the topwho make shitloads of money, then you’ve
gottheguysatthebottomthatmake
nothing. I mean people are making $100
around,soit’sareallyfuckedupsport.
Andwe’vedonesuchagoodjob,inmy
opinion,ofspreadingthatwealthoutinour
sport.Evenifyouonlyightthreetimesin
theUFCandyouloseallthreeights,you’re
goingtomake30grandormore.Weoffer
incentivesandbonusesandthingslikethat,
butyoucanmakeover$30,000ayear
ightingthreetimesintheUFC.That’s
alivingevenifyou’renotthatgood.
GQ:Whatlegacydoyouhopetoleave?
DW:ThatIwasagreatfather.That’sthe
only thing I care about. I love my job. I’ve
beenveryblessedthatIgettodowhatIlove.
Butattheendoftheday,whenyou’relaying
thereinthatcasket,nobodytalksaboutwhat
theguydidforaliving.Wereyouagood
father?Didyourkidsgrowuptherightway?
Do your kids love you? That’s really the
only legacy that matters.
GQ: You have to step into the octagon
with anyone. Who is it?
DW:I’mtoooldtobesteppingintherewith
anybody.Iighttogetonatreadmill everyADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES. day now. That’s my answer.
“Floyd
will fight
here. It’s
just a
matter
of when.”
AUGUST 2018GQ.COM.AU 45&A