Dana White reacts to UFC's pro-Republican reputation, reveals unheard story about Joe Biden's granddaughter
Dana White recently addressed the narrative that the UFC was a pro-Republican fight promotion and detailed an intriguing story about President Joe Biden's granddaughter attending an event in New York City. White also dismissed the UFC as having any political leanings.
Over the past few years, former POTUS and the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has become a regular feature at major UFC events. Cameras cover the real estate baron from the moment he walks into the arena, and fans often get to see dynamic shots of him watching the fights from his seat.
While many fans appreciate the former POTUS being shown exceptional respect, others have questioned the pageantry of highlighting his attendance on UFC broadcasts.
Given that Trump and White share a close relationship that goes back to the UFC's infancy, it's no surprise that the 78-year-old is treated with special respect. However, White recently clarified that he isn't politically partial to anyone and would treat any former POTUS with the same level of respect.
During a recent interview with Ben Fowlkes of Yahoo! Sports, White stated:
"If [Joe] Biden came to a UFC event, I would treat Biden the same way! If Biden was there, we would cover the fact that the President of the United States… Or if [Barack] Obama, [George] Bush, any of those guys ever came to an event, we would treat them with the same respect. If a former or standing president of the United States shows up to your event, you show them respect."
White then outlined a story about Biden's granddaughter attending a UFC event last year and said:
"I’m an American, and whoever is the president of the United States, is my president... When we were at Madison Square Garden, the last time that Trump came to Madison Square Garden... Biden’s granddaughter was there... I tried to grab her to pull her back to my room to meet her but when she heard Trump was coming, she left, which sucks."
Donald Trump lauds Dana White and names favorite UFC fighter ever
Earlier this month, Donald Trump spoke about the UFC and his close relationship with Dana White. The real estate baron lauded White for his dedication to promoting mixed martial arts and named Khabib Nurmagomedov as his favorite UFC fighter of all time.
During a live stream with Adin Ross, Trump called White irreplaceable for the UFC and explained why he was a fan of Nurmagomedov.
"Dana, there's nobody like him. And I always say, 'Everybody can be replaced.' Except Dana. This guy travels the world looking for fighters... He doesn't care, from countries nobody ever heard of and that's where he finds the best fighters... I think Khabib, I mean, how good is he? I guess 29-0, and then his father died, and then he stopped. I don't think he ever lost a round."