UFC Freedom 250 marks 25 years of Trump and White alliance

The White House hosted a live UFC fight card on June 14, marking the first time a professional sporting event was staged on the grounds of the executive mansion. The event, named UFC Freedom 250, coincided with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday. This milestone cements a 25 year partnership between Trump and UFC president Dana White that began with a real estate transaction in Atlantic City.

The relationship started with UFC 28, held on November 17, 2000, at the Taj Mahal casino owned by Trump. The event drew 5,000 fans. Dana White attended that night as the manager for fighter John Lewis. He was joined by Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta III, Las Vegas casino owners who had trained in jiu-jitsu under Lewis. The Fertitta brothers were evaluating their potential to own an MMA promotion.

Three months later, Zuffa LLC purchased the UFC for $2 million and appointed White as president. The new owners needed a venue for their upcoming events. Trump agreed to host UFC 30 and UFC 31 at the Taj Mahal. At the time, Trump's casino business was struggling financially. PBS Frontline reported his Atlantic City operation lost $133.8 million in the 1999 fiscal year. The umbrella company holding the casinos filed for bankruptcy twice in the following decade.

White later described the significance of that early support. He recalled Trump seeing the UFC brand as undervalued and deciding to host the fights at his casino. White told CBS 60 Minutes in 2025 that other venues did not believe in the promotion. He said, When the Trump brand was here and the UFC brand was down there, he saw it and said, I'd love to have it at my casino.

The partnership survived a brief rival venture. In June 2008, Trump announced a partnership with Affliction Entertainment, a startup MMA promotion. Affliction held its first event on July 19, 2008, in Anaheim, California. The UFC responded by scheduling a fight card on the same night, featuring Anderson Silva. White refused to call the move counterprogramming. He said he was giving the fans what they want. Affliction folded in July 2009 after a steroid test failure for headliner Josh Barnett.

The alliance strengthened during the 2016 presidential campaign. White publicly backed Trump in December 2015. He introduced Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July 2016. White called Trump a fighter during his address. Steven Cheung, the UFC's director of communications, left the promotion to join Trump's campaign that same year. Cheung had managed messaging for White since 2013.

The connection extended to personal moments. White and his wife Anne watched the 2016 election results from their hotel in New York City on November 8, 2016. Jared Kushner called White when Trump was announced the winner. In June 2026, ahead of the White House event, White told ESPN that Trump is one of ten close friends in his life. He stated that their relationship has grown stronger every year.