UFC President and CEO Dana White introduced former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday night.
White spoke to Republicans shortly before Trump accepted the nomination for his third consecutive presidential nomination.
The 54-year-old Connecticut native told the crowd that the crisis had never been more critical, and praised Trump as “the toughest, most tenacious man” he had ever met in his life.
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Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White speaks onstage during the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
“I know he wants what’s best for the American people, all Americans,” White said. “I know he’s running for president to protect the American dream. I live the American dream, and I know the American dream is real. Whether you were born here or come from somewhere else, this is the land of the last real opportunity.”
“We know President Trump is fighting to protect the American Dream, and that’s what’s on the line in this election.
White went on to say that the country was in a better state when Trump was president and that he was the obvious choice.
“I’m going to choose strength and security. I’m going to choose opportunity and prosperity. I’m going to choose true American leadership and true American bravery.”
Donald Trump and UFC President Dana White attended the UFC 290 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 8, 2023. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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White said he has been friends with Trump for more than 20 years and that Trump addressed him as a “friend” during the speech.
In the early 2000s, when UFC was struggling to become a legitimate sports organization, Trump hosted UFC shows at a former Atlantic City casino known as the Trump Taj Mahal.
White spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention, months before Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, and praised him for taking sports “seriously.”
Trump’s Atlantic City businesses have been demolished or bought and rebranded, but White has remained loyal to the billionaire business mogul through it all.
Trump has made regular appearances at sporting events since taking office and during his reelection bid in 2019 and 2020, appearing at baseball and college football games but most often at UFC events.
Former US President Donald Trump, UFC Chairman Dana White and Kid Rock pose for a photo during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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Following his sentencing in a criminal trial in New York, he appeared at UFC 302 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to rapturous applause upon entering the arena, with the fighters cheering on him several times.
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