Fight for Power: How Trump remade the UFC in his image
Looking back on years of reporting on how Donald Trump co-opted the UFC as the sports arm of his campaign, presidency, and MAGA ideology.
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In July 2016, UFC President Dana White took the stage at the Republican National Convention (RNC) and delivered a fiery speech that ultimately ended with him endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Over the course of four minutes, White boasted about Trump’s loyalty and work ethic. He repeatedly praised the candidate’s business savvy and rehashed the tale of Trump’s magnanimous support for the UFC during the organization’s dark age.
“Trump is a fighter and I know he will fight for this country,” White told the crowd.
White, a loyal friend to the former president dating back to 2001, returned to endorse Trump again during the 2020 RNC, where he spouted many of Trump’s campaign talking points. “President Trump built the greatest economy in our nation’s history and created opportunities for all Americans like no one before him,” White said during a pre-taped speech. “Financial markets hit all-time highs; unemployment hit all-time lows, and we weren’t facing the lawless destruction that now is occurring in a few of our great cities.”
White’s endorsement of Trump did not end there. The UFC head honcho, along with a select group of prominent UFC fighters, have spent the past few years campaigning for Trump while reshaping the organization as a haven for conservatives, right-wing influencers and MAGA ideologues alike. Furthermore, Trump have become a regular presence at UFC events, including recent appearances after being convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
White is now expected to introduce Trump at the 2024 RNC on Thursday, less than a week after the former president was injured during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally.
No other American sports league has invested as much time and effort as the UFC has in promoting Trump during the election. The alarming trend of UFC fighters and officials campaigning for the incumbent president – including spreading propaganda and disinformation – emphasizes how the promotion has embraced its role as the sports arm of Trump’s political ideology.
This unique phenomenon has been a central focus of my reporting over the past six years, dating back to when Trump first assumed office in January 2017. Now, ahead of the November election, I have decided to compile my reporting on Trump and the UFC from across a wide range of platforms, including The Guardian, into a single archive for Sports Politika subscribers. The selection also includes some of my recently deleted articles from Bloody Elbow, as well as some of my media appearances on the subject.
