Dana White Recalls Trump’s Support for UFC Rival

UFC CEO Dana White and former U.S. President Donald Trump have had a long-standing relationship. However, in 2008, Trump briefly became a competitor when he invested in Affliction Entertainment, a rival MMA promotion. Despite this, White never viewed Trump as a threat, and their bond only grew stronger over time.

Trump’s Early Support for the UFC

In the early 2000s, the UFC struggled to secure venues for its events due to the sport’s controversial reputation. At a crucial moment, Donald Trump stepped in and allowed UFC to host events at his Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, giving the promotion much-needed legitimacy.

White has repeatedly expressed his gratitude for Trump’s early support:

“Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC, and encouraged us to build our business.” – Dana White

The Rise of Affliction Entertainment

By 2008, Affliction Clothing, a popular apparel brand among MMA fans, decided to launch its own fight promotion: Affliction Entertainment. Trump partnered with the company, taking on an advisory role and helping to finance the promotion.

Affliction quickly positioned itself as a major competitor to the UFC, signing elite fighters such as Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, and Tim Sylvia. Their first event, Affliction: Banned, took place on July 19, 2008, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

“Affliction was throwing huge money at fighters, trying to compete with the UFC. They had big names, but financially, it wasn’t sustainable.” – MMA Analyst Luke Thomas

Dana White’s Reaction to Trump’s MMA Venture

Despite Trump’s partnership with a competing promotion, White never spoke negatively about him. Instead, he maintained respect for their personal relationship:

“I’ll never say anything bad about Donald Trump. Donald Trump was good to us.” – Dana White

Rather than feeling threatened, White viewed Trump’s involvement as a testament to his passion for MMA.

Affliction’s Short-Lived Existence

Affliction hosted only two events before financial struggles forced the company to cancel a third event in 2009. Despite high-profile fights and major investments, the promotion collapsed due to unsustainable fighter salaries and underwhelming pay-per-view numbers.

For instance, Fedor Emelianenko earned an estimated $300,000 per fight, while Andrei Arlovski received $1.5 million for his two appearances. These financial burdens ultimately led to the organization’s downfall.

White and Trump’s Relationship After Affliction

Despite the business competition, White and Trump remained close. Their relationship strengthened further when Trump entered politics. In 2016, White spoke at the Republican National Convention to publicly support Trump’s presidential campaign, a decision that solidified their friendship.

“When I spoke at the convention in 2015, that’s when we really became good friends.” – Dana White

White also supported Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns, appearing at political events alongside him.

Conclusion

Dana White’s reflections on Donald Trump’s involvement with Affliction Entertainment highlight their enduring friendship. Even though Trump briefly backed a UFC rival, White never held it against him. Their relationship, built on mutual respect, has remained strong both in business and politics.

This article is based on information from MMAnytt.se

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