Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief executive Dana White is set to meet United States President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss taking the job of White House press secretary.
asserted
White → set → secretary
Trump announced the offer on Saturday, days after his Republican Party suffered record losses in midterm elections.
asserted
Party → announce → elections
In a post on Truth Social, the president praised White as “a violent Fighter and Warrior” who would bring along leading UFC fighters as “assistants” to “defend us against the Lunatic Left”.
asserted
who → praise → Left
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But it remains unclear how serious the offer is.
uncertain
offer → rise → fight
In a news conference on Saturday, White confirmed he would travel to Washington, DC, to meet with Trump.
asserted
he → confirm → Trump
But he also signalled concerns about his existing workload.
asserted
he → signal → workload
“I got a lot of jobs already,” White, a Trump ally and donor, said.
asserted
White → get → jobs
“We have a meeting on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.
asserted
I → have → that
White also posted a photo to Instagram Stories of himself standing behind the White House podium.
asserted
himself → post → podium
Its caption read, “On to the next chapter.”
asserted
caption → read → chapter
Trump, too, posted his own AI-generated memes about the potential hire.
asserted
Trump → post → hire
On Sunday, he shared an animated cartoon of White in the White House briefing room, flanked by a row of fighters.
asserted
he → share → fighters
One of them body-slams a reporter who asks, “Is Trump a threat to democracy?”
asserted
Trump → slam → democracy
The press secretary role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia’s brief tenure ended last month.
asserted
tenure → end → ?
She left the post within five days of being hired after facing criticism that she presented herself as a lawyer without being licensed in the US.
asserted
she → leave → US
Zacharia succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down from the role at the end of August, citing the needs of her growing family.
asserted
who → succeed → family
But why is the head of a mixed martial arts franchise being considered for the new public face of the Trump administration?
asserted
head → mix → administration
Al Jazeera explains that and more in this brief explainer.
asserted
Jazeera → explain → explainer
A former bouncer and small-time boxer, White began his career as a businessman by opening a boxing gym in Boston where he trained other fighters.
asserted
he → begin → fighters
He later moved to Las Vegas, where he continued to run gyms and manage emerging fighters.
asserted
he → move → fighters
The UFC was founded in 1993, at about the time White resettled in Las Vegas.
asserted
White → found → Vegas
The organisation sought to offer an arena for fighters from different disciplines – from boxing to wrestling to jujitsu – to face each other in “no-holds-barred” competition.
asserted
organisation → seek → competition
In 2001, White convinced two casino magnate friends to buy the UFC for $2m and name him president.
asserted
White → convince → him
Since then, he has built the company up through big fights and lucrative pay-per-view television deals.
asserted
he → build → view
White has been credited with turning the fledgling franchise into a global business that brought mixed martial arts into the mainstream.
asserted
that → credit → mainstream
In 2016, the UFC was sold for $4bn, and in 2023, White became its CEO after a merger with World Wrestling Entertainment valued at some $21bn.
asserted
White → sell → 21bn
How do Trump and White know each other?
asserted
Trump → know → other
White has been a longtime supporter of Trump, appearing by his side at campaign events for nearly a decade.
asserted
White → appear → decade
Trump, in turn, has a history of hosting UFC fights as far back as 2001.
asserted
Trump → have → 2001
At the time, UFC was struggling against criticism that the sport was too violent.
asserted
sport → struggle → criticism
White had just taken up his position as UFC president, and he and Trump came to an agreement to host that year’s UFC championship at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
asserted
he → take → City
The next year, the UFC returned to the Taj Mahal.
asserted
UFC → return → Mahal
Speaking in support of Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, White recalled how the early collaboration helped open doors for the UFC, making other venues more accessible.
asserted
venues → speak → UFC
“No arenas wanted us,” White said at the time.
asserted
White → want → time
“This guy reached out, and he’s always been a friend to me.”
asserted
he → reach → me
The 2016 election cycle would mark Trump’s first successful bid for public office.
asserted
cycle → mark → office
In 2018, White was invited to visit the White House during Trump’s inaugural term as president.
asserted
White → invite → president
During the 2020 elections, White again endorsed Trump as he sought a second term as president.
asserted
he → endorse → president
White also donated $1m to Trump’s campaign and was a key speaker at the Republican Party’s national convention that year.
asserted
White → donate → convention
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
