UFC President Dana White Fawns Over Trump’s Continuous Support: ‘Couldn’t Be a Nicer Guy’
Few sports leagues and organizations are willing to attach themselves to Donald Trump, but UFC president Dana White is unapologetically grateful for their friendship.
White joined boxing analyst Teddy Atlas and co-host Ken Rideout for an all-encompassing interview about the UFC, including the sport having a unique ally in Trump. According to White, Trump’s invite to the Taj Mahal more than two decades ago while the sport was being chastised and banned in some states is one of the reasons UFC is now so successful.
“He got it, he loved it,” White said of Trump’s affinity for the sport. “And he said ‘we’d love to have you at the Taj Mahal.’ Cut us a great deal, showed up for the first fight of the night, and stayed till the last fight of the night. Watched the whole show, both the shows that we did at the Taj.”
“And then after that, every good thing that ever happened to me in my career, Trump would reach out, out of the blue. And say congratulations, I’m so happy for you. I knew you guys were going to make it…Couldn’t be a nicer guy.”
Trump was there for White when mixed-martial arts as a professional sport was being exiled by many venues in the United States and the UFC president was intent on returning the favor. White’s relationship with Trump reach a new level in 2016, when he ignored the advice of many to stay out of politics and proudly spoke at the Republican National Convention.
“He calls me up and says, I would like you to speak for me at the convention,” White recalled on The Fight with Teddy Atlas. “Everybody and I mean f*cking everybody told me not to do it…I’m like, ‘Are you crazy, man?’”
“Yeah, there’s no f***ing way in hell I’m not doing that for him,” White added. “Then once I spoke, you know, our friendship went to a whole ‘nother level.”
Despite claiming he attempts to keep politics away from the UFC, White has repeatedly been an advocate for Trump, speaking at the Republican National Convention again in 2020.
Watch above via The Fight with Teddy Atlas.
