Dana White Reveals How ‘Standup Guy’ Donald Trump Was Instrumental in the UFC’s Success

The UFC has come a long way from its initial days when it was labeled as human cock fighting and was banned from multiple states in the USA. At the time when Dana White and the Fertitta brothers took it over, the UFC had a really bad image, as it was completely unregulated at the time. No sponsors wanted anything to do with it and neither did any venues. Which made it hard for White to put on live events. 

However, Donald Trump saw the potential in White and the UFC and allowed the promotion to put on its first few events at one of his hotels. Ever since then, White and Trump have been extremely good friends. This has come with its fair share of criticism towards Dana White, given Trump is not the most popular individual in the United States. 

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Dana White defends ‘Standup guy’ Donald Trump 

In a recent podcast, White was asked if the hate he received due to his relationship with Trump bothered him. He said, “Ohh I don’t give a shit. That guy has been a friend of mine for 20 years. He’s one of the most stand-up, solid dudes I have ever met in my life, if he gives you his word, done… We’ve been friends for a long time and no one wants to get dragged out into the political arena it’s all bullshit…when we first got started in this business, this brand was so bad that venues did not even want us, their arenas did not want us like ‘whoa we don’t want this stuff at our arena’.”

White continued, “So we had a hard time finding venues. And Trump literally called us now remember this think about where the Trump brand was and the UFC brand was down here. Come to my place and do the event here. We’ll have the event at the Trump Taj Mahal we get there and he showed up to the first fight and was there till the last fight.”

The UFC President further added, “Everything that happened to me in my career from there on out, he would pick up the phone and congratulate me or send something… so then he calls me and says I am running for President. Now listen, if you don’t want to do this, I completely understand but I would be honored if you spoke at the national Republican convention for me. Everybody told me not to do it, everybody. And I am like, this guy all the things he has done for me, I a gonna tell him no? That’s not me.”