Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has opened up about his 'really close' friendship with President Donald Trump, revealing that politics rarely comes up in their conversations. In an interview with Rolling Stone, White, 56, said they discuss everything but politics, including family and how Trump is feeling.
White, who has known Trump for over two decades, recalled the pushback he received when Trump asked him to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention. 'Everybody told me not to do it,' White said, citing the risks of getting involved in politics and the belief that Trump would not win. Despite the advice, White agreed, partly because Trump had supported the UFC in its early days when others refused.
The UFC boss also commented on Trump's sleep habits, describing them as 'inhuman.' 'This guy doesn't sleep,' White said. 'I'm not a big sleeper either, but his level of sleep is inhuman. I don't even know how he does it, especially at his age.'
White emphasised that his relationship with Trump is not transactional. 'I don't want anything from him. I'm not looking for anything from him,' he said. 'We're friends. And when we get together, it's literally no different than any other person in this room when you get together with somebody you're friends with.'
The comments come as White prepares to host the first-ever UFC cage fight at the White House on June 14, Trump's birthday, as part of America's 250th anniversary celebrations. White insists the event is not political, saying 'you can make anything political if you want to.'
