UFC CEO Dana White has change into a detailed pal and one of many staunchest advocates for President Donald Trump over the previous eight-plus years, however there was a time when the 2 buddies have been truly on opposites sides—not less than when it got here to enterprise.
Trump famously backed the UFC when the group was struggling to seek out venues to host occasions within the early 2000s, and he supplied up the arenas linked to his New Jersey casinos and motels after Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta purchased the promotion and labored to breathe new life into it. That partnership made White a lifetime fan of Trump, however in 2008 the longer term president determined he was going to get into the battle recreation after he determined to lend his title and movie star to the fledgling Affliction promotion headed up by government Tom Atencio.
On the time, Affliction was fast to place itself as a rival to the UFC, signing a number of distinguished athletes with previous expertise within the promotion. The debut occasion even went face to face with a UFC card that very same evening, however for all of the methods White by no means pulls punches when addressing firms attempting to chop into his backside line, he by no means took intention at Trump for moving into enterprise with Affliction.
“He did [launch his own promotion],” White recounted when talking about Trump to Forbes. “That’s humorous. What occurred was I wish to say it was TMZ was interviewing me one time and so they’re like ‘Donald Trump’s about to go face to face with you, what do it’s a must to say about that?’ I mentioned, I’ll by no means say something unhealthy about Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump was good to us. But it surely’s a testomony to how a lot he likes preventing and what he noticed within the UFC again in these days.”
Whereas Affliction was there and gone straight away with solely two exhibits earlier than a 3rd was cancelled—the promotion crumbled shortly thereafter—White swears he by no means felt bothered that Trump received into mattress with one other MMA group that wasn’t UFC.
“In no way [threatened],” White mentioned. “It’s the precise reverse. They have been attempting to get me to say one thing unhealthy about him, and I mentioned I by no means will. This man was there at first, he’s at all times been pal to me.”
As a lot as White at all times touted himself as a giant fan of Trump after he supported the UFC within the early 2000’s, he recollects a shift within the dynamic when the previous host of The Apprentice determined to take a run on the presidency throughout the 2016 election.
That’s when Trump approached White about talking on his behalf on the Republican Nationwide Conference and the supply modified their relationship without end.
“In 2015, when he hit me up and mentioned, ‘Would you communicate on the Republican conference for me?’ He began out with ‘in case you don’t wish to do it, I fully perceive,’” White relayed. “All people instructed me to not do it. All people mentioned don’t become involved on this and he’s by no means going to win, it’s not price it.
“I mentioned, this man’s been man to me, I’ll do it. Once I spoke in [2015], our relationship, that’s after we actually began to change into good buddies.”
White’s ties with Trump received even deeper throughout his run for re-election in 2024 with the UFC government stumping for him all year long, talking for him once more on the Republican Nationwide Conference and even taking the stage throughout his celebration after profitable this previous November.
