Dana White Donald Trump Relationship: A Political History of Their Unbreakable Bond

47th President Donald Trump is perhaps the only man alive who can attend a UFC fight card and be cheered on more than the PPV lineup fighters themselves. It’s got nothing to do with his status and/or political stances. Much of it has to do with his decade-long friendship with UFC CEO Dana White.

White is positioned at the smack center of it all, taking over the helm from the Fertitta brothers. In less than 30 years, White has transformed his sport, once on the edge of pop culture, into a mainstream media spectacle with global superstars.

It’s something that even the three-time GOP head/ president-elect couldn’t resist and would thus often attend fight cards. Here is a brief look into their friendship.

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Donald Trump gave UFC an early boost when no one else would

Figureheads like Dana White himself, CBO/Head litigation Hunter Campbell, and others are credited for making UFC a mainstream media attention and household name. White and global superstar Conor McGregor, especially, put the sport on the map, some half a decade ahead of the Zuffa-era WEC.

But the stride towards becoming a global sport wasn’t easy, and no one sponsored the organized violence culture at first. The Trump Organization is infamous for real estate and casinos. In 1990, Trump unveiled the Trump Taj Mahal, a billion-dollar jewel in Atlantic City that he touted as the 8th Wonder. During its heyday, it reigned supreme as the preeminent gambling establishment in the city. Elton John christened the center arena, and in 2001, new attractions were needed.

UFC was still stuck with the labels of brutalist enigma. Donald Trump took a chance on what was then highly avoided in the Las Vegas entertainment circuits and considered “human cockfighting”. After being shut out from Nevada entertainment circuits for so long, Dana White has always credited this pivotal boost at the right moment that bolstered the company to new heights.

The duo didn’t let business get in the way

During “In Search of Excellence” Podcast Episode 112, White stressed for the n^th time that he is apolitical and doesn’t roll with Donald Trump for political side benefits. His beliefs began entirely different. In 2010, White campaigned with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. At that time, Reid was trying to keep his position as a senator. Democrats were having a hard time that year. Reid won, and the Democrats maintained a slim majority in the US Senate.

Trump himself was bashed during the 2016 GOP primaries for taking a liking to lead-Democrats like Hillary Clinton. But the UFC boss saw that his “friend” was like him and saw the world through the lens of transactional value and state of union. In 2008, previously, Trump Org even dipped its toe into the MMA space with a partnership with Affliction, a clothing brand.

They came close to signing Russian MMA king Fedor Emelianenko, the favorite fighter of some fan-favorite fighters, whom the UFC had wanted to sign. Trump tried to own and back his own competitor in the ranks. But given the leg-up in the early days, White promised UFC brass won’t clash with his “friend” on this or ever go after him, make parody or caricature media, and so on.

RNC Speeches, media attention, all the way to Oval Office

During his exclusive sitdown with Yahoo! Sports columnist Ben Fowlkes for ‘Co-Main Event’ Podcast, White vehemently denied being pro-Republican. With Donald Trump attending cageside on multiple PPV cards from UFC 287, UFC 296, UFC 298, UFC 302, UFC 314, UFC 316, and in the in-betweens, rumors were rampant.

Combate Globale helm and UFC co-head Campbell McLaren had to even send out Democrat-inclusive “all are welcome” tweets on socials. Even so, Dana White was reluctant in the first one but spoke freely and stood behind the President-elect three times at the RNC conventions.

White, fighters like Jorge Masivdal, Colby Covington, Michael Chandler, Kamaru Usman, Henry Cejudo, and other roster fighters have often supported the POTUS before his last term. Trump sought value in the rhetoric of being a ‘fighter’ in a fighter’s world, and it paid off for his political narrative.

Many names, including Chandler and the UFC headman, supported him during his indictment for 34 counts of falsifying business accounts. White would also anoint the NELK Boys for BTS coverage, daily chores, private flights, hosting duties, and such before the Presidential nomination. The UFC boss would finally swing it home in the stretch with a victory speech after Trump won the nomination.