The story of the long-lasting relationship between former President Donald Trump and Dana White, the force behind the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has gained significant traction in the distinct domain where sports and politics converge.
Their friendship began in 2001 when White, a man raised in a working-class home with a single mother, was figuring out how to make the UFC a major player in the combat sports industry. Meanwhile, Trump, who grew up in a five-bedroom Tudor-style house in New York, saw the MMA’s promise even in its early years of hardship. The UFC’s early expansion was greatly aided by the platform that Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City offered, per Nicki Swift .
Recalling Trump’s support, White emphasized, “He saw it, he got it,” White said, per MMAWeekly.com , adding, “He got there for the first fight of the night and stayed there until the last fight. He did it both times that we were there.”
Trump and White have different upbringings, but they both have an entrepreneurial drive and a dedication to self-made success. Trump became an outspoken booster of the UFC, frequently attending events and advocating for its expansion after being impressed by White’s vision and tenacity.
White was always very appreciative of his friend for seeing something before it became famous. “Arenas around the world refused to host our events. Nobody took us seriously — except for Donald Trump,” White told the crowd. “Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC and encouraged us to build our business… before it was popular,” he said, underscoring his gratitude.
White’s audacious stand back in November 2023 shows that their friendship isn’t without controversy. He caused a stir when he revealed, with Theo Von, on “This Past Weekend,” that he refused to back down from a UFC sponsor’s demand that White take down a pro-Trump social media post, telling him to “go f**k yourself.”
Trump demonstrated his support for White and the sport by showing up to UFC events in historic numbers, even during his presidency. In exchange, White supported Trump’s presidential aspirations and stood by his friend under scrutiny and political upheaval.
UFC President Dana White doesn’t care if he loses fans over Trump friendship: ‘I don’t give a s—‘ https://t.co/p6C8WQEUpe pic.twitter.com/eURlQ84KQm
— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) February 28, 2020
Despite the potential for criticism, White told The Hill in 2018 that he chose to speak at the 2016 RNC because “this guy has been a stand-up guy since the day I met him.” White further asserted, “Any good thing that happened to me in my career, Donald Trump was the first to pick up the phone and call and say ‘congratulations.'” He declared, “We’re pretty loyal to people who are good to us.”
As seen by White’s remarks to reporters in April 2023, their relationship has lasted for decades. The Trumpster “calls me twice a month and he will talk to me for an hour about fights that have happened since the last time that we talked,” he shared.