Matt Flegenheimer

They spotted it together.

They spotted it together.

You know, in some ways, they approach politics from kind of a similar vantage point if you think about Trump before he was president. It's very transactional, not ideological politics.

You know, in some ways, they approach politics from kind of a similar vantage point if you think about Trump before he was president. It's very transactional, not ideological politics.

You know, frankly, as the commissioner of a league that's trying to appeal to as many people as possible, in general, those sorts of figures wouldn't necessarily want to engage in partisan politics because the country is pretty evenly split and you're trying to cast a wide net.

You know, frankly, as the commissioner of a league that's trying to appeal to as many people as possible, in general, those sorts of figures wouldn't necessarily want to engage in partisan politics because the country is pretty evenly split and you're trying to cast a wide net.

Sure. But then Trump runs for office in 2016 and he has a request when he becomes the Republican nominee, which is that Dana White speak at his convention that summer. which obviously would place him very much in the middle of partisan politics in a way that had not been a part of his profile previously.

Sure. But then Trump runs for office in 2016 and he has a request when he becomes the Republican nominee, which is that Dana White speak at his convention that summer. which obviously would place him very much in the middle of partisan politics in a way that had not been a part of his profile previously.

He has said he was advised against doing it for all the reasons you would expect, that it would alienate potential sponsors, it would alienate fans. So it was kind of high stakes for him because potentially it could alienate half his audience. Sure. But he does speak at that convention.

He has said he was advised against doing it for all the reasons you would expect, that it would alienate potential sponsors, it would alienate fans. So it was kind of high stakes for him because potentially it could alienate half his audience. Sure. But he does speak at that convention.

And White himself leaned into the idea that it was sort of strange that he was there.

And White himself leaned into the idea that it was sort of strange that he was there.

You're probably wondering, what are you doing here? It was kind of his opening.

You're probably wondering, what are you doing here? It was kind of his opening.

And he talked about the chance that Trump took on him in the UFC in 2001, his loyalty, his fighter instincts. He was the sort of validating voice that Trump wanted to have in that moment.

And he talked about the chance that Trump took on him in the UFC in 2001, his loyalty, his fighter instincts. He was the sort of validating voice that Trump wanted to have in that moment.

The sky doesn't fall. Right. And I think that's an important lesson that he learns in that moment. He goes out on this limb. He's advised against doing something much in the way that he was in his telling advised against giving it all to the UFC at the beginning. In this case, Dana White gives the speech at the RNC. It goes fine. And as a matter of fact, Trump's elected president.

The sky doesn't fall. Right. And I think that's an important lesson that he learns in that moment. He goes out on this limb. He's advised against doing something much in the way that he was in his telling advised against giving it all to the UFC at the beginning. In this case, Dana White gives the speech at the RNC. It goes fine. And as a matter of fact, Trump's elected president.

And now he knows the president.

And now he knows the president.