UFC’s popular internet personality, Nina-Marie Daniele, has quickly made a notable mark in the combat sports world, carving out a unique position as more than just an MMA interviewer. She is known for her dramatic yet likable interactions with MMA personalities such as Alex Pereira and Kayla Harrison, to name a few. She also actively participates in their practice sessions, making her a fan favorite. Recently, her lighthearted banter with former fighter-turned-commentator Laura Sanko left fans stunned.
Despite her playful nature, Daniele doesn’t tolerate disrespect from anyone, whether it’s a fighter or a YouTuber like ‘The MMA Guru,’ whose recent sexist remarks toward a journalist sparked a massive controversy. The incident, occurring after UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, gained significant attention across the MMA community.
Now, rumors are circulating on social media, suggesting that UFC President Dana White may have fired Nina-Marie Daniele from the promotion, sparked by her noticeable absence from the UFC 308 PPV in Abu Dhabi. Is there any truth to these claims? Let’s dive in and uncover the facts!
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Is Nina-Marie Daniele still a part of the UFC?
In a recent post on X, the account “Mr. Testostrogen” made an unusual claim that Dana White had fired Nina-Marie Daniele from the UFC during the Dana White’s Contender Series, allegedly due to her back-and-forth exchange with “The MMA Guru.” In this exchange, Daniele responded to The MMA Guru’s comments, accusing him of body-shaming female journalists. She retorted on X, “You beg for your donations, I get big boy checks. You saw the effect of me mentioning you—now you get it. Lastly, the biggest difference between you and me is that my pu**y is between my legs, and you use yours to speak.”
However, this claim seems questionable, as DWCS concluded on October 15, and Daniele was recently seen interviewing fighters for UFC’s extravaganza in Abu Dhabi. Notably, Daniele was the only woman present among the fight crew, even though the card didn’t feature any female fighters. Her absence from Etihad Arena may instead be due to restrictions in the Middle East, where women’s participation in certain events is limited, suggesting that her absence likely had nothing to do with a firing.
Now that it’s clear the rumors are untrue, if you’re curious about how the controversy between MMA Guru and journalist Amy Kaplan led to Nina-Marie Daniele’s involvement, scroll down for the full story.
MMA Guru’s body-shaming remark on Amy Kaplan
Amy Kaplan, a former senior editor and now an MMA writer at MMA Weekly, has made a name for herself in the journalism space over the past decade. Since 2016, she has transitioned from a photo editor to a full-time MMA writer for prominent news outlets. Recently, she covered UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, where she confronted fighters and asked questions during the press conference. However, this did not sit well with “The MMA Guru” who quickly took to X to body-shame the renowned journalist, taunting her for footage to share.
Heartbroken by the comment, Amy Kaplan retweeted the post, taking a jab at the Guru by saying, “And this is why I prefer to remain behind the camera. In 10+ years of covering the UFC, I don’t speak at press conferences. You don’t deserve respect, even from people you don’t find attractive.” She also received support from Nina-Marie Daniele, who wasted no time in calling out the Guru to her 200k followers.
She once again took to her X account and jotted down a lengthy reply, condemning Guru for his offensive post. Daniele expressed her rightful frustration and labeled the YouTuber as a “clout-chasing verm*in” and underscored his apparent inability to enter the MMA journalism space owing to his rude and ignorant statements. She further demanded Guru to apologise to Kaplan.
I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about this clout chasing vermin since I started in the UFC and he hasn’t been able to keep my name out his mouth, crying about me like a little bitch on the internet. But for Amy, I had to speak up. I may not be every body’s cup of tea, I might be… https://t.co/8EEhUY2W59
— Nina-Marie Daniele (@ninamdrama) October 4, 2024
Amy Kaplan expressed her heartfelt gratitude towards Daniele on her X account for defending her and adding that she “could never explain how the post made her feel.” What do you make of Daniele’s replies to ‘The MMA Guru’? And how will she respond to those fake rumors about her termination? Stay tuned for further updates.
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Did Nina-Marie Daniele's bold retort to 'The MMA Guru' put her UFC career at risk?