Trump has publicly urged UFC chief Dana White to step into the White House press secretary role, and the combat sports world is paying attention.
Donald Trump has pulled the UFC into the political arena. He has publicly asked Dana White, the face of the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion, to take the White House press secretary job. His plea, "Dana, please take the job!", has set off a wave of chatter in sports and politics.
White has been the driving force behind UFC's rise from a niche spectacle to a global entertainment powerhouse. He is known for blunt talk, relentless promotion and a knack for keeping the spotlight on his product. Trump seems to see those traits as ideal for the White House podium.
The two men have long been publicly friendly, and White has often appeared alongside Trump at high-profile events. That history makes the request feel less like a surprise than a very public recruitment pitch.
What remains unclear is whether White is actually considering the role or whether this is simply Trump playing to the crowd. Comment is being sought from the White House and from TKO Holdings, the parent company of UFC. Until there's an answer, the fight world will be watching to see if its most powerful promoter steps out of the Octagon and into the briefing room.
