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UFC White House not political, White says: āI donāt think like thatā
TL;DR
The UFC is hosting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and President Trump's 80th birthday. The event will feature seven fights, including two title bouts, and Dana White emphasizes that it is not a political statement.
MIAMI āĀ The UFC is hosting a fight card at the White House. What may have sounded like an unreal proposition a few months ago is now a reality.
UFC Freedom 250 goes down June 14, and it's set to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States along with the celebration of President Donald Trump's 80th birthday, which lands on the same day as the card. The event is composed of seven fights, including two title bouts, and will go down on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Trump has long been a UFC fan, as well as a friend of UFC CEO Dana White. He's been at numerous events, sitting cageside, with the latest one being UFC 327Ā on Saturday in Miami. Although the UFC-Trump affiliation has long been present, hosting a card at the White House certainly strengthens the connection.
MMA Junkie asked White if he's concerned that furthering the UFC's relationship with Trump could turn off fans who aren't fans of his policies and administration.Ā For White, there's none, as to him, the promotion is not making a political stand with UFC Freedom Fights 250.
"Yeah, I don't think like that," White said at the UFC 327 post-fight press conference. "It's not like I'm out here saying ā I mean, even if you look at any of my speeches at the Republican Convention, they're never political. I'm never talking about one side or the other side. This guy (Trump) is a very good friend of mine, and that's it. And he's a big fan of the sport."
Trump himself has had a hand in the event. This past Saturday, during UFC 327, Trump requested White for Derrick Lewis, one of his favorite fighters, to be on the card. White immediately called Lewis and matched him up with Josh Hokit, who defeated Curtis Blaydes that night at UFC 327 in one of the promotion's best heavyweight fights of all time.
Trump has had a long history in MMA, including hosting UFC events at his Taj Mahal in Atlantic City in the early 200's. Knowing Trump for well over 20 years, White finds it wild to be in this position, on the verge of putting on a UFC event on White House lawn.
"I've been doing a lot of interviews this week with big mainstream outlets, and I was talking about it yesterday, they say, 'Could you have ever imagined?' Well, no, I mean, you don't ever," White said. "I had always believed in the brand and in the sport, and I thought it could be big, but you don't think of stuff like that. I mean, we deal with world leaders all the time, rulers of countries, presidents, and all these different political figures from around the world. It's pretty crazy what the sport of fighting will get you in the middle of."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC White House not political, White says: āI donāt think like thatā
Q&A
What is UFC Freedom 250 and when is it taking place?
UFC Freedom 250 is a fight card scheduled for June 14, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States and President Trump's 80th birthday.
Where will UFC Freedom 250 be held?
UFC Freedom 250 will take place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Is UFC CEO Dana White concerned about the political implications of hosting an event at the White House?
Dana White stated that he does not see the event as a political statement and is not concerned about alienating fans due to the UFC's relationship with Trump.
