Donald Trump wants "tough" migrants to fight in UFC for sport, CEO Dana White addresses comment amid backlash
Former United States president Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White go way back – their relationship spanning nearly two decades now.
The Trump Taj Mahal played host to several UFC events in the past when the organization was diligently striving to reshape the brand image from “human cockfighting.” Now, the American politician is a familiar face at major UFC events, most recently attending the UFC 302 pay-per-view showcase.
Check out the video below:
Trump recently spoke at the Faith and Coalition press conference as part of the 2024 presidential campaign and shared an intriguing tidbit while talking about White. Trump claimed that he floated around the idea of a "migrant league of fighters" to the UFC CEO, who wasn't entirely sold on the idea:
“Did anyone ever hear of Dana White? He’s a legend, right, UFC, he’s a fantastic man. I said, ‘Dana, why don’t you set up a migrant league of fighters? And have your regular league of fighters, and then you have the champion of your league, these are the greatest fighters in the world, fight the champion of the migrants.’ I think the migrant guy might win, that’s how tough they are! He didn’t like that idea too much, but actually, it’s not the worst idea I’ve had.”
White reacted to Trump's comments going viral and weathering backlash at the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference. He said:
"It was a joke. I saw everybody going crazy online, but he did say that."
Catch Dana White's comments below:
Chael Sonnen claims Donald Trump sees Dana White more like a "son"
Donald Trump staged UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal when the organization encountered resistance from the athletic commissions and mainstream audience. Trump's bond with Dana White has matured over time, with White even helping the former president in his previous campaign.
In a recent episode of the Flagrant podcast with comedian Andrew Schulz, Chael Sonnen spoke about Trump's relationship with White. The former two-division UFC title challenger claimed that Trump regards the UFC CEO as a "son":
“I believe Trump sees Dana more as like a son. Trump was very proud of Dana… That's not a word you can use very often. But he was very proud of Dana for standing his ground, for coming up, for making this company."
Sonnen also asserted that a Trump-White ticket in the United States presidential bid would "be hard to beat."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (1:07:50):