By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
UFC President Dana White is flying to Washington, D.C., this week to meet his friend, President Donald Trump, and then give a speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday to pump up Trump’s re-election bid.
White is a close pal of Trump, who gave a video shout-out to the candid-speaking UFC president in a video in May when White staged one of the COVID-19 pandemic’s first live sports events in Jacksonville, Florida.
White also spoke at the Republican Convention in 2016 to boost Trump.
He will fly to Washington, D.C. Wednesday night and meet Trump on Thursday when White will also give his stump speech at the convention the same day.
White and Trump go back 20 years when he said UFC fight shows were held at Trump hotel properties in New Jersey.
White declined to tell LVSportsBiz.com what his speech’s message will be, but he has been a Trump supporter politically. He doesn’t know whether his Thursday speech will be taped or live. “I always prefer live.”
White doesn’t talk politics at UFC, where several of his fighters supported racial equality issues.
“People should enjoy sports without hearing ANY politics,” White wrote in a text to LVSportsBiz.com Monday night.
Trump’s sons come to UFC fight events. For example, they’re friends of UFC fighter Colby Covington, who fought Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 in Las Vegas in March 2019.
LVSportsBiz.com figured White would include in his speech how he forged ahead with UFC fight shows during a pandemic amid criticism that sport events would spread the novel coronavirus.
“Trust me …. It’s coming,” White texted.
White said he not bringing any UFC staffers or fighters to the GOP gathering.
But he will have a friend.
“A friend of mine from Maine is the biggest Trump fan on earth. I’m bringing him to mee the President,” White texted.
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White said he won’t be discussing UFC during the speech.
“It’s not about me or UFC. It’s about the President and Country. Most people know what me and the UFC are all about,” White texted.
White won’t be wearing a tie during his speech and he also isn’t angling to run for president of the country.
“I would never run (for president.) I don’t know why anyone would want that job,” he texted.
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