The president recently announced plans to hold a UFC match at the White House. However, his relationship with the Octagon is nothing new. This is the latest round of long-standing charm.
President Trump celebrates spending and passing tax bills in Iowa
“There’s no better birthday present in America,” President Donald Trump celebrates spending and passing tax bills during an event in Iowa.
President Donald Trump likes to be on the cage side for the fight. And fans have given him a loud cheer when they see him there, adding to the constituency base that Trump has built up among fighting sports fanatics.
Trump’s announcement on Thursday, July 3rd that he will be holding the ultimate fighting championship event at the White House next year may come as a shock to some. But Trump’s love for the Octagon and his support for its fans and stars is nothing new.
His public relations team says it is part of his appeal to the public who are not known to read mainstream news media.
“Audiences can see him through a filter that is not contaminated by news media and political bias,” Trump’s White House communications director Stephen Chan told the Associated Press in 2023.
Cheung himself is familiar with UFC’s Cage Fighting World. He was an organizational spokesman before he handpicked him to become his communications director.
It’s not just about voting and public imagery. Trump’s appeal for mixed martial arts dates back several years, further back to his 1988 days of hosting Wrestle Mania in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Trump said this week that the UFC event, celebrating the White House’s 250th birthday, will be part of a package of the broader event. But he highlighted it as a highlight.
“We’re going to host some great events, some professional events, and amateur events. But the UFC fight is also a big deal,” Trump told the crowd on July 3 at the Iowa fairground.
He said he expects the Fighting Card to host nearly 25,000 spectators at the White House.
Playing cards and the octagon
Dana White, CEO of the UFC, is a friend of the president. White introduced Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in 2024.
“I know that President Trump is a fighter,” White said, introducing him to the crowd. “I’m in the business of a tough guy. This guy is the toughest and most resilient person I’ve ever met.”
White and Trump have been friends for 25 years, the CEO said at the convention.
The first UFC battle held under the ownership of White and his partners took place in 2001 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
Trump frequently played UFC matches with famous aides over the years since his first fight under White.
His first public announcement after his 2024 conviction for hash money fees came at a famous UFC event in Newark, New Jersey
Videos from the event show Trump, a newly convicted felon on all 34 counts, enters the stadium through a fighter tunnel and delivers a loud applause.
Trump attended another UFC event with White, Elon Musk and Kidlock shortly after the presidential election last November.
Again, Trump received a warm welcome from the crowd before the start of the main card action.
One of the top men in the corner of a playing card
Former UFC Communications Director Cheung became the quick response director for the Trump campaign, with his focus being “keeping the latest campaign in breaking news and resuming false or unbalanced reports.”
According to Sports Joe, Cheung had a reputation for revoking media qualifications for reporters he disliked. At least four reporters have revoked their qualifications for Cheung, according to the Sports News Outlet.
According to Jung’s Mother Jones profile, former high school football player Chang became a martial arts fan and dabbled in Taekwondo and Muay Thai boxing. “Chang’s past political activities and perhaps even his role in the UFC gave him ideal employment to the Trump campaign, which struggled to attract veteran experts,” the publication wrote.
Political analysts have for years expressed that Trump has been skillfully using combat sports venues such as the UFC to reach out cheaply and effectively to voters who don’t follow mainstream news media or campaigns. It is also given to UFC Latino and black fans as well as being visually appealing as UFC fans. Trump’s high-profile visibility at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event has attracted praise from past sports champions, including Colby Covington, who has openly praised Trump in UFC crowds and elsewhere.
