TRUMP ASKS UFC PRESIDENT DANA WHITE TO BECOME NEW WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY

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By: Muftau Fatimo

US President Donald Trump has publicly invited Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President, Dana White, to become his next White House press secretary.

According to the BBC on Saturday, Trump made the request in a post on his Truth Social platform, praising White and suggesting he would bring a unique approach to the position.

“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other,” Trump wrote. “Dana, please take the job!”

However, it remains unclear whether the president’s proposal was a genuine offer or a joke. Neither the White House nor the UFC and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, had officially confirmed the development at the time of reporting.

The position reportedly became vacant in mid-October following the departure of Katie Zacharia, who spent only a few days in the role.

In the same post, Trump urged White to bring some high-profile UFC fighters to the White House, describing them as individuals who could help defend the country against what he called the “Lunatic Left”.

He also referred to White as a “violent Fighter and Warrior” and shared photographs of six fighters, including Russian mixed martial arts star Islam Makhachev.

White appeared to respond to the president’s post by sharing a photograph of himself standing behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room.

“On to the next chapter,” he captioned the Instagram post, although it was unclear whether he was seriously considering the offer or responding humorously.

The UFC boss, who also heads Zuffa Boxing, was in London on Saturday for a boxing event featuring former British world champion Chris Billam-Smith and Jamaican-born British boxer Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena.

White is a longtime friend and political ally of Trump, having openly supported him during his presidential campaigns in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

Their relationship dates back to the early years of the UFC’s development. White and his business partners acquired the struggling organisation for $2 million in 2001, when mixed martial arts faced significant opposition across the United States.

In 1996, Republican Senator John McCain famously described the sport as “human cockfighting”, contributing to bans in several states.

White has credited Trump with helping the UFC survive during that difficult period by allowing the organisation to host two events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2001, when other venues were reluctant to accommodate its fights.

Their relationship has remained strong, with White becoming a prominent speaker at Republican National Conventions during Trump’s political campaigns.

Earlier this year, the UFC also staged a fight event on the White House lawn, further highlighting the close relationship between Trump and the organisation.

Despite his close ties to the president, White has had several confrontations with journalists over the years.

He has previously clashed with reporters during UFC news conferences and criticised media coverage of the sport.

In 2020, he attacked journalists who questioned the UFC’s decision to continue organising fights during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2009, he also faced criticism after releasing an expletive-filled video containing an anti-gay slur in response to a journalist’s report about backstage credentials at UFC events.

Neither White nor the White House had officially confirmed whether the proposed appointment would proceed as of the time of reporting.