Former kickboxer and controversial internet personality Andrew Tate finds himself embroiled in a disturbing criminal case, but that didn’t deter UFC CEO Dana White from warmly embracing him.
White met Tate for the first time Friday at the Power Slap 12 event in Las Vegas on the eve of UFC 313. In videos that surfaced on social media, White is seen shaking hands and hugging Tate and his brother, Tristan, as he greets them with a message: “Welcome to the States, boys.”
Tristan responds, “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Welcome to the States, boys.”
Dana White, President and CEO of UFC and a board member of META, warmly greets Andrew and Tristan Tate. pic.twitter.com/MEf6t7LayV
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 8, 2025
Late last month, the Tate brothers fled Romania after travel ban on them was lifted as they face charges of human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering as part of an alleged organized crime ring. They have denied all wrongdoing in the case.
The Tate brothers arrived in Florida on Feb. 27. Earlier this week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the state had opened its own criminal investigation into both men.
In the U.S., Andrew and Tristan Tate also face a civil lawsuit in which a woman accesses them of coercing her into sex work and defaming her after she cooperated with Romanian authorities. They have denied the woman’s allegations.
Tate, 38, is a self-proclaimed misogynist who has gained millions of followers on social media by espousing an ultra-masculine lifestyle that is condemned by critics for denigrating women.
Like White, the Tate brothers are staunch supporters of President Donald Trump, which likely explains the invitation to Power Slap. As of this writing, it’s unclear if Andrew and Tristan Tate also will attend UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
