Dana White reveals who "huge fan" Donald Trump's favorite UFC fighters are
UFC president Dana White recently discussed former U.S. President Donald Trump's love for MMA and revealed the real-estate baron's favorite fighters in the promotion.
It's no secret that Trump shares a close relationship with White and has previously attended several UFC events. Meanwhile, the UFC supremo has spoken at the former president's campaign rallies. Trump even made a surprise appearance at last Saturday's UFC 287 event at the Kayesa Center in Miami and was welcomed by the Floridians with loud applause as he walked in.
President Donald Trump in attendance at UFC 287 🇺🇸 https://t.co/OriJbrcSIg
At a recent UFC 287 post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about the extent of Trump's passion for MMA. Revealing how big of a fight fan the 76-year-old New Yorker is, White stated:
"So this guy [Donald Trump] calls me twice a month and will talk to me for an hour about the fights that happened... He knows everybody, he knows what they did and who they fought last. He's a huge fight fan. Loves this stuff."
The 53-year-old MMA promoter was further asked who the former president's favorite fighters were, to which he expectedly replied:
"Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal."
Catch Dana White's comments below (8:00):
It isn't surprising that Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington are Trump's favorite fighters, considering their emphatic support of the former president.
Covington's friendship with Trump is well-known, and he recently revealed that he will be helping the former president with his 2024 election bid. 'Chaos' was even invited to the White House when Trump was in office.
Masvidal used his retirement speech after his loss at UFC 287 to praise Donald Trump and has attended the Republican's political rallies several times.
Jorge Masvidal thanks Donald Trump, calls him “greatest President in the history of the world” and then starts a “Let’s go Brandon” chant.
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Dana White on how Donald Trump helped the UFC during their infancy
The close bond between Dana White and Donald Trump is well-known amongst fans of the promotion.
Mike Tyson, Kid Rock, Donald Trump and Dana White at UFC 287 😂 https://t.co/iyRVMbNKMg
Despite catching public heat for his vocal support of the former U.S. president, White has never shied away from praising Trump and once explained how his generosity helped the UFC grow into the global sporting giant it is today.
On a May 2022 episode of The Pivot Podcast, White opened up about how Trump supported the UFC during testing times and how they became close friends:
"This brand was so bad, venues didn't even want us... We had a hard time finding venues. Trump literally called us. He said, 'Come to my place, do the event here. We'll have you at the Trump Taj Mahal.' We get there, and the greatest setup for us. Showed up at the first fight, and he was there until the last fight. Both times we went there."
Watch the full episode below: