Dana White: Trump is 'literally putting his life on the line for something bigger than himself'
UFC President Dana White addresses the Republican National Convention following the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
UFC president and CEO Dana White introduced former President Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday night.
White spoke to Republican Party members right before Trump was set to accept the presidential nomination for the third straight time.
The 54-year-old Connecticut native told the crowd the stakes have never been higher. He praised Trump as the "toughest, most resilient human being" he’s ever met in his life.
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Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, speaks onstage during the last day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
"I know he wants what’s best for the American people – all American people," White said. "I know he’s running for president to save our American dream. I’m living the American dream and I know the American dream is very real. Whether you were born in this country or came here from someplace else, this is the last real land of opportunity.
"I know President Trump is fighting to save the American dream and that’s what’s at stake in this election.
White continued, saying the country was in a better place when Trump was president and the chose for him was clear.
"I know I’m going to choose strength and security. I know I’m going to choose opportunity and prosperity. I know I’m going to choose real American leadership and a real American bada--."
Donald Trump and UFC President Dana White attend the UFC 290 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
White has said that he and Trump have been friends for over two decades. He said in his speech Trump asked him as "a friend."
As UFC struggled in the early 2000s to become a legitimized sports organization, Trump put on UFC shows at his former Atlantic City casino known as Trump Taj Mahal.
White spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention months before Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in that presidential contest. He praised Trump at the time for taking the sport "seriously."
Trump’s Atlantic City’s endeavors have either been demolished or bought and rebranded. But White has remained loyal to the billionaire business mogul through it all.
Trump has routinely been seen at sporting events over the course of his first presidency and while he was running for re-election in 2019 and 2020. While he had been seen at baseball and college football games, he shows up to UFC events the most.
Former President Trump and Dana White pose for a photo during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 11, 2023, in New York City. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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He appeared at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for UFC 302 following the verdict in his New York criminal trial. He received a rousing ovation as he entered the arena. He even received a few shoutouts from some of the fighters.
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