When the Ultimate Fighting Championship was on the brink of extinction, Donald Trump gave the organization a platform to showcase what would become one of the world's largest sports empires.
Trump's relationship with UFC president Dana White dates back to 2001, when the UFC was loved only by hardcore fight fans.
The organization gained a cult following in the 1990s, with headliners such as Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell, and Tito Ortiz. Although the company and its fighters were household names to the father and son who rented UFC tapes at the local video store, the company was in turmoil and nearing its end.
Funds dried up, and owner Semaphore Entertainment Group was unable to fund the DVD releases of the previous seven events from 1999 to 2000. After that, UFC 23-29 became known as “.dark agesUFC'.
When Station Casino executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, along with business partner White, bought the UFC in 2001, all signs pointed to business failure.
“My lawyer told me I was crazy for not buying anything.”
Mr White said: 2011 Initially, he and his partner were sports fans looking to invest in boxing. However, after attending a UFC event, the trio began taking Jiu-Jitsu classes and fell in love with the sport.
This piqued the interest of the group, and with White managing fighters Liddell and Ortiz, they saw the perfect opportunity to get into the company.
“It was on the verge of bankruptcy,” White said of the UFC. “I called [the Fertittas] And I said, “I think this is a problem, and I think we can buy the UFC.'' And after a month, I owned the company. ”
Lorenzo Fertitta recalled years later that when he bought the UFC, his lawyer had no idea what the deal was and asked him exactly what he was getting in exchange for the high price.
“My lawyer told me I was crazy because I didn't buy anything. I paid $2 million and they were like, 'What are you getting?' ” he told Fighters Only. 2009.
The owners called the promotion a “never-ending black hole” that continued to absorb checks as quickly as they were being written.
But once White and Fertitta took control of the company, they began planning how to monetize the business and began the journey to get licensed in a thriving market.
President Trump's Taj Mahal era
For years, the UFC has been considered a barbaric and brutal sport, unfit for regular consumption. Each fighting organization had different rules and was deemed too violent in many jurisdictions.
vision of knee kick and soccer kick In the minds of the vanquished opponents was a vision that the new owners had to erase from the minds of the legislators.
To that end, legendary UFC referee John McCarthy served as part of a group of experienced martial arts experts who met with various governing bodies to establish a set of rules.
The turning point came when the group worked with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to create uniform mixed martial arts rules.
“We couldn't secure a venue because it was dangerous.”
As MMA Weekly noticedthis happened in September 2000.
By the time Fertittas and White took over in January 2001, the UFC had already held one sanctioned event in New Jersey. UFC 28 November 17, 2000 at the Trump Taj Mahal.
Two more events are scheduled to take place in pro-Trump arenas soon. UFC 30 February 2001 and UFC 31 In May 2001.
Trump spoke about the beginning of his relationship with the UFC owner in a 2023 interview with former UFC champion Matt Serra, who fought at one of the Trump Taj Mahal events.
“I had a lot of respect for Dana,” Trump began. “[The UFC] We were unable to secure a venue due to the danger. People thought it was very dangerous, which happened to be correct, but they couldn't get a venue, so I offered one. ”
white said the same thing In 2016, at the Republican National Convention, Arena refused to host a UFC event, saying no one took him seriously.
But White and Fertitta knew their event would be welcomed in New Jersey and other smaller markets. mohegan sun arena In Connecticut, the show had to be licensed in Nevada under the Uniform Rules.
“It was perceived as just like death,” Trump continued. “So I gave them a venue early on because a lot of competition committees weren't going to do it, the owners weren't going to do it, and they couldn't get a venue.”
Donald Trump and musician Kid Rock attend UFC 287 in Miami.Matthias J. Ochner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service (via Getty Images)
Mr. Trump said that under New Jersey's Uniform Rules, the UFC will provide a starting point to prove that it is mainstream, professional and safe, and thus be recognized by an official governing body. It became.
The new rules have greatly contributed to the image of the UFC. Fighters were now required to wear trunks and certain gloves and were not allowed to wear any other attire (UFC fighters were previously allowed to do so) put on shoes, Githeven shirt).
New weight classes were also introduced, from flyweight (125 pounds) to super heavyweight (over 265 pounds). The latter has only been used once in the UFC, at UFC 28 at the Trump Taj Mahal.
From October 2000 to late June 2021, the Trump Taj Mahal was the only venue in the United States that hosted UFC events.
During this time, the New Jersey Sports Control Board held a meeting to discuss regulations for mixed martial arts events. SACB advisor Nick Lembo said that at an April 2001 meeting, uniform rules were proposed that were to be agreed upon by several “regulatory bodies, numerous promoters of mixed martial arts events, and other stakeholders.” He recalled that.
It is reportedly expected that all parties will sign off on a uniform set of rules, with more regulators adapting the rules soon thereafter.
Nevada was one of the jurisdictions that subsequently adopted uniform rules, and by September 2001, the UFC was holding its first sanctioned event in Las Vegas.
UFC 33 White brought about a turning point for the company, but said a few years later The event sold out and returned to pay-per-view with 75,000 purchases, with “every fight” on the card “sucking.”
modern influence
UFC President Dana White at the Republican National ConventionPhoto by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Despite more than 200 events currently being held in Las Vegas, President Trump still sits cageside for many of the organization's most memorable moments.
his exterior The event has become the subject of headlines in its own right, as the media anticipates what kind of figures will appear in his inner circle and what role their relationships will play in his politics. .
“I knew you were a fan,” Serra told Trump in 2024.
Serra recalled that even though UFC 32 was held in New Jersey's Meadowlands rather than the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump was still in the audience.
The love for this sport is felt not only by the fans, but by the fighters as well.
A nearly unlimited number of UFC athletes have expressed public support for the president in recent years, perhaps most notably Colby Covington, who adopted a “Make America Great Again” hat in 2018.
That support extends to some of the sport's greatest athletes, including heavyweight champion Jon Jones, former “baddest” UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal, and perennial challenger Michael Chandler.
“Donald was a champion before the UFC became popular.”
White himself explains that his fighters are connected to the president for the same reasons as Americans. He is someone who uplifts himself and those around him, and often perseveres even in adverse situations.
“Trump Donald was the first person to recognize the potential we saw in the UFC and encourage us to build our business,” White said in 2016. “He dealt with us personally. He has been in the trenches with us and achieved great results.” It was a deal that worked out for everyone. ”
“Donald championed the UFC before it was popular, before it was a successful business, and I will always be grateful to him…for being with us in the early days. I am very grateful.”
The UFC is currently promoting Trump with its own promo. entrance video Then they make you walk to your seat as if you were going to pick a fight. The broadcast features like-minded celebrities throughout the show as part of a growing ecosystem of influencers built between his two administrations.
While this relationship between the UFC and U.S. presidents appears to be mutually beneficial, Trump's early embrace of the sport appears to have benefited him in terms of influence.
