Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has opened up about his long-standing friendship with President Donald Trump, revealing that politics rarely enters their conversations. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, White, 56, stated, "We definitely don’t talk politics. We talk about everything but. How his family is, what’s been going on, how’s he feeling?"
A Friendship Forged Outside Politics
Despite Trump, 79, having become the most powerful man in the world twice during their friendship, White insists their bond remains apolitical. Trump previously sought White's assistance during the 2016 presidential race, and recently announced a historic UFC fight to be held on White House grounds. White described his relationship with the president as "really close" and reiterated a common observation about Trump's sleep habits.
"I mean, this guy doesn’t sleep," White told Rolling Stone. "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."
Supporting Trump in 2016
The UFC boss recalled the backlash he faced when Trump asked him to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention. "Everybody told me not to do it," White said. "The two reasons were, number one, you don’t want to get anywhere near politics, and number two, he’s never going to win." White chose to participate because Trump had supported the UFC during its early days when others refused. This decision reportedly strengthened their bond.
A Normal Friendship
White maintains that his relationship with Trump is fairly ordinary. "I don’t want anything from him. I’m not looking for anything from him. There’s nothing transactional in our relationship. 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," he explained.
These comments come as preparations are underway for the first-ever cage fight at the White House, scheduled for June 14, Trump's birthday, as part of America's 250th anniversary celebrations. White has insisted the event is not political, telling Time magazine, "You can make anything political if you want to."
A History of Mutual Support
White and Trump's relationship dates back to the early 2000s, when Trump hosted a UFC event at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. At that time, White was struggling to overcome the stigma associated with the sport. Over the years, White has repaid the favor by speaking at RNC conventions, boosting Trump's popularity among young white men during the 2024 election, and hosting the president at UFC events.
"At the end of the day, everybody has to remember Donald Trump is human. And as human beings, we all need that — everybody’s got a thing. Donald Trump’s thing is the UFC," White concluded.
