Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), said he’s “never fucking doing” politics again in a Tuesday interview with The New Yorker.
White told the outlet he wants to distance himself from the political fray after campaigning alongside his longtime friend, President-elect Donald Trump, throughout the 2024 election cycle.
“I’m never fucking doing this again,” he said. “I want nothing to do with this shit. It’s gross. It’s disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics.”
DANA WHITE:
“I want nothing to do with this… It’s gross. It’s disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics.” pic.twitter.com/PUlpL73asq
— Julianna Frieman (@JuliannaFrieman) November 22, 2024
White’s comments followed Trump’s attendance Saturday at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, where the president-elect was greeted with chants of “USA, USA!” and a powerful applause from the crowd.
Multiple notable figures attended the event, including Eric and Donald Trump Jr., Elon Musk, Kid Rock, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
WE’RE SOOO BACCCK!!!!!!#UFC309 🇺🇸🦅@realDonaldTrump @danawhite
@elonmusk @EricTrump @DonaldJTrumpJr @KidRock @RobertKennedyJr @TulsiGabbard @KidRock @SpeakerJohnson pic.twitter.com/ORcKXXY4Ga— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) November 17, 2024
Trump and White’s friendship dates back to the early days of the UFC given the president-elect’s early support for the then-controversial sport. The UFC previously struggled to find venues due to its violent reputation, and Trump was one of the few willing to host its events, allowing them to take place at his Atlantic City casino. (RELATED: ‘F***ing Disgusting’: Dana White Rips People Who Wish Trump Was Assassinated)
Fans of the UFC, which has since surged in popularity, took a liking to Trump.
“Every time, when he was getting hammered at his worst, we’d walk into that arena and the place erupts and goes crazy,” White told the outlet. “It shows other people, Oh, wait. Everybody doesn’t hate Donald Trump like the media is telling us.”
White took the podium at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July to endorse Trump. The UFC CEO said that he was “nobody’s puppet” when it came to his support for his friend of 25 years.
“Nobody in the Trump campaign has told me what to say, nobody tells me what to say”
Dana White shows his support for Donald Trump at the RNC. 😳‼️ pic.twitter.com/zCEfF3pT7y
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) July 19, 2024
“I know President Trump as a fighter,” White said at the RNC. “I’m in the tough guy business, and this guy is the toughest, most resilient I’ve seen in my life.”
White has previously clarified his belief, however, that Jon Jones is “the greatest fighter to ever live.”
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