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A timeline of Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White's relationship
Donald Trump gave a big early boost to UFCDonald Trump poses on the floor during the opening of his Trump Taj Mahal casino Getty In 1990, Trump opened Trump Taj Mahal, a billion-dollar prized jewel in Atlantic City, that businessman billed as the 8th Wonder of the World. At its peak, it was the biggest casino in town.Trump needed big acts to fill the casino's arena, which Elton John had christened. In 2001, Trump took a chance on the UFC, which was still trying to escape its brutalist stigma. The sport that then-Sen. John McCain, famously called "human cockfighting" in the 1990s, couldn't even put on an event in Las Vegas. Trump's UFC event came at a pivotal momentRandy Couture is victorious over Pedro Rizzo at UFC 31 Susumu Nagao/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Shut out of Nevada, UFC staged its fights in a series of smaller venues around the country and the world. White considered the invitation to the Taj Mahal a sign of legitimacy."Nobody took us seriously," White has repeatedly said. "Except Donald Trump."Trump's backing came during a crucial time in the company's history. In January 2001, a month before the Trump-hosted fight, casino moguls Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta purchased UFC. They picked White, Lorenzo's friend and a manager for two of mixed martial arts' biggest fighters, as the president. Under White's leadership, UFC's popularity skyrocketedDana White looks forward during a 2007 weigh-in ceremony. Jae C. Hong/AP By September 2001, UFC was in Vegas. Four years later, White led UFC onto the airwaves on SpikeTV, cashing in the popularity of reality TV competitions with "The Ultimate Fighter."It helped that in 2004, Trump welcomed Tito Ortiz, one of the sport's biggest stars, onto the first season of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice," the glitzier spin-off to Trump's smash reality TV hit.The Ultimate Fighter was a big success, increasing the company's popularity. White locked in UFC's voiceDana White hangs out with Joe Rogan ahead of SpikeTV's 2006 video game awards. Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage via Getty If White is the face of UFC, Rogan is undoubtedly its voice. His association with the company even predates White's time as president. After the Fertitta brothers purchased UFC in 2001, White offered Rogan a full-time gig as a color commentator. Rogan has said it's in his contract that he'll leave the UFC if White ever exits, too.Rogan's profile grew alongside the UFC, considering his association with mixed martial arts was part of why he became the host of NBC's "Fear Factor."The comedian cashed in on his bigger profile in 2009, starting what was then a weekly commentary show. By the time Trump first ran for president in 2016, "The Joe Rogan Experience" was one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Business didn't get in the way of Trump and White's friendship.Donald Trump briefly tried to back his competitor to the UFC Brad Barket/Getty Images While he's known for real-estate, Trump has sought out many other partnerships and business ventures to varying degrees of success. In 2008, Trump partnered with Affliction, a clothing brand, to launch a competitor in the mixed-martial arts space. Their promotion even landed Russian fighter Fedor Emelianenko, whom White and the UFC had previously sought to sign.The venture lasted only two fights. According to The New York Times, White sometimes criticized his friend, pointing out his inexperience in operating such a company, "Donald Trump owns casinos."White and Trump remained close. The UFC head even vowed that he would never fully go after Trump, a nod to the real estate mogul's early support. White was once far from a conservative firebrandDana White and Harry Reid voted early during the 2010 midterm elections. Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun/Reuters In 2010, White campaigned with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada as he sought to hang onto his seat amid a difficult year for Democrats. Reid won, and Democrats held onto a slimmer US Senate majority.According to The Times, White's politics mirrored Trump's in that both businessmen viewed the enterprise through a transactional lens. Trump faced criticism in the 2016 GOP primaries for previously supporting leading Democrats like Hillary Clinton. White spoke as if he was a stranger at the 2016 Republican National Convention.White has been in Trump's political orbit since his first foray into presidential politics. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Few major establishment Republicans spoke at Trump's 2016 convention. Enter White, one of a handful of longtime Trump friends who extolled the virtues of the man who would soon become the Republican Party's presidential nominee.White even alluded to the fact that his attendance might appear odd."My name is Dana White. I am the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. I'm sure most you are wondering, 'What are you doing here?'" White told the crowd in Cleveland. "I am not a politician. I am a fight promoter, but I was blown away and honored to be invited here tonight, and I wanted to show up and tell you about my friend, Donald Trump the Donald Trump that I know." White returned to the trail again in 2020.White stumped for Trump during a February 2020 campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images Ahead of Trump's reelection bid, White said Trump's time in the White House only deepened their relationship."We've actually become even closer since he's become the President of the United States," White said during a 2020 campaign rally. "When somebody becomes the President of the United States, you don't ever expect to hear from them again. And I understand it. It absolutely makes sense. This guy is so loyal and such a good friend." The COVID-19 pandemic made White a conservative starUFC 249 was held in Jacksonville, Florida, during the COVID-19 pandemic Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Image The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the live event business. Sports, including the UFC, were no exception. White saw an opening as the four major professional leagues struggled through discussions on how to return.White tried to get the UFC to return with an event on tribal land in California, but that effort was postponed amid Disney and ESPN's uneasiness. In turning to Gov. Ron DeSantis' Florida, White found a much more receptive audience even if the first fight didn't allow any fans. UFC 249 in May was the first major sporting event since the pandemic's beginning.Trump delivered a video message congratulating White on the event."Get the sports leagues back, let's play," Trump said in a video recorded outside of the Oval Office. "Do the social distancing, and whatever you have to do, but we need sports. We want our sports back." Out of power, Trump found refuge at the UFCFormer President Donald Trump made a rare public appearance at a July 2021 UFC fight. Stacy Revere/Getty Images After leaving the White House, Donald Trump wasn't welcomed in many places. Following the January 6 Capitol riot, the two biggest professional golf governing bodies rebuked him. The Professional Golf Association even stripped one Trump-owned course of the right to host one of the PGA's major four tournaments.In July 2021, the Manhattan District Attorney indicted the Trump Organization, setting off an array of legal headaches that didn't abate until after the 2024 election. A week later, Trump entered to mostly cheers in Las Vegas as he prepared to take in UFC 264. Trump made the UFC central to his 2024 bidTrump officially launched on TikTok at UFC 302 in June 2024. The fighting promotion's audience was also the perfect place for the former president's campaign, given his advisors' emphasis on attracting young men.White's broader orbit suddenly intertwined with the former president's comeback campaign. Trump, and later his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, made a point of appearing on podcasts geared toward this demographic. The Nelk Boys, Theo Von, Adin Ross, and "Bussin' with the Boys" all shared close ties to White. Trump appeared on each of their respective shows. @realdonaldtrump Launching my TikTok at @UFC 302. original sound - President Donald J Trump White spoke at Trump's pre-election rally at Madison Square Garden.White was a high-profile speaker at Trump's October rally at Madison Square Garden. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images White energized the crowd at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally just days before the election, where he said that Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn't bring "change" to the country.And he emphatically praised Trump in advance of an election that was seemingly tied in most of the swing states."He is the most resilient, hardest-working human being that I've ever met in my entire life," White said during his remarks. Celebrating his win, Trump turned the mic over to WhiteUFC CEO Dana White was a prominent presence during President-elect Donald Trump's 2024 victory speech. Brendan Gutenschwager/Anadolu via Getty Images As Trump spoke to an adoring crowd at Mar-a-Lago and to the nation, he invited White to make remarks, and the UFC president wasted no time singing the praises of the president-elect."He keeps going forward he doesn't quit," White bluntly said. "He deserves this. They deserve it as a family."White also name-checked podcast hosts that had welcomed Trump into the so-called "Manosphere." A former UFC spokesperson will have a key role in Trump's White HouseSteven Cheung follows Donald Trump as he boards his plane Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images One of Trump's key White House aides also has ties to UFC. Steven Cheung, who will be the White House communications director, was a spokesperson for UFC before he left to join Trump's 2016 campaign.Cheung's brash statements, particularly those bashing DeSantis during the 2024 primary season, received considerable attention and drew comparisons to how closely they mirrored Trump's own rhetoric. Just before Trump took office, Meta tapped White for a new role.UFC President Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg attended UFC 300 on April 13. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Trump may have helped out White again. In January 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the UFC executive would join the technology company's board. Zuckerberg's move was widely seen as a play to curry favor with Trump and his orbit. White might be done in the political arenaAfter the election, Trump and White had a major outing together at the UFC 309 event in New York. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC White wasn't very political before he campaigned for Trump. He has said that his outspokenness may be an exception only reserved for his friend."I'm never fucking doing this again," White recently told The New Yorker. "I want nothing to do with this shit. It's gross. It's disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics."
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