UFC Chief Dana White Scheduled To Give Speech Before Trump At Upcoming RNC Event
Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is an icon in the MMA community, and The Don will receive a major introduction from the UFC president himself at the Republican National Convention starting next Thursday (July 15-18).
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump campaign confirmed that the famous and fiery UFC chief Dana White will attend the convention in Milwaukee and is scheduled to give a speech before handing the mic off to Trump for his big speech. Trump will be accepting the Republican nomination at the event, with a hotly anticipated V.P. pick already in place (could it be Dana?).
Trump and White have also been friends for decades. And to Dana, Trump represents the restoration of common sense in America.
ST LOUIS - UFC CEO Dana White is seen on stage during the UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-in at Enterprise Center on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
"He's a very, very good friend of mine," White previously shared on Fox News. "Donald Trump has been such a good friend to me since the day I met him."
"Donald Trump saw that (the UFC) could possibly be big," said White. "Plus, he's a sports guy. He loves sports … He offered us to come do the (UFC) event at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. (He) cut us a very fair deal. We went down there and did two events with him. He showed up for the first fight and stayed till the last. He took us in and he was great."
In Trump's corner, you have one of the biggest names in sports and a real champion in the aftermath of the COVID shutdowns.
NEW YORK - Former President Donald Trump, UFC president Dana White, and Kid Rock pose for a photo during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump attends the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 299 mixed martial arts event at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on March 9, 2024. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
On several occasions, White has walked out with Trump at a UFC event and met with an overwhelmingly positive response. After being convicted in New York over his campaign funds case, Trump picked UFC 302 as his first public appearance, and the fans went crazy.
The chief loves Trump; the fans love Trump; heck, even the fighters love Trump.
White and Trump's mutual support has been strong for years. Dana also spoke for Trump at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and on the final night of the RNC in 2020.
White's endorsement of Trump highlights the increasing popularity that the ex-president holds over the current president, Joe Biden. As Trump gains another vocal vote for his presidential platform, Biden is struggling to keep long-time Democrats and donors like George Clooney in his corner.
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com