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In July 2016, UFC President Dana White took the stage at the Republican National Convention and delivered a fiery speech that saw him endorse Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Over the course of four minutes, White boasted about Trump’s loyalty and work ethic. He 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’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, further cementing the organization as a platform for his MAGA ideology.
This is the focus of the second episode of In The Red Corner, a three-part audio series about the UFC, Trump, and the violent politics that unite them.
In the first episode of In The Red Corner, we explored the UFC's early days and discussed the role Trump played in its success. In this episode, we look back at Trump's rise in U.S. politics, and the role the UFC played in making his MAGA ideology a reality.
We'll delve into how UFC champions followed the organization’s lead in helping solidify Trump’s popularity among fans and fighters alike. And we’ll examine how the UFC’s billion-dollar sale further fuelled the organization's shift toward MAGA politics.
You can listen to this episode in the player above, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you missed the first episode, you can play it below.
In The Red Corner was created by Karim Zidan and Elie Bleier and is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. You can also listen using the embed above or through the Substack app.
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