UFC CEO Dana White posted from the White House press podium and later said he was flying to Washington after reports of a White House offer from President Donald Trump.
The Story
UFC CEO Dana White moved quickly after President Donald Trump made an unexpected offer for the White House press secretary role in a Saturday Truth Social post.
In the post, Trump reportedly described White as “a violent Fighter and Warrior,” and said he wanted White to bring fellow UFC stars as aides, naming Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes. Trump said the aides’ job would be to “defend us against the Lunatic Left.”
White, who was in London for a Zuffa Boxing event Saturday, responded with an Instagram Story that showed him standing at the White House press podium. He captioned the image “On to the next chapter.”
Reports then conflicted on whether White accepted or declined the job. One account said White had declined and that the offer was a joke, while other reporting suggested the matter was being taken seriously enough that White was preparing to meet in Washington.
Later Saturday, White spoke at a Zuffa Boxing press conference and said, “I’m flying to Washington, D.C. right now,” as quoted by Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern. A meeting was reported to be scheduled for Monday.
The press secretary vacancy dates back to mid-October, when Katie Zacharia held the role for roughly five days. Before her, Karoline Leavitt resigned in late August, and she began the job in January 2025 at age 27.
Trump has cycled through six press secretaries in two terms, with several serving less than a year, including Zacharia and others who held the post after taking office in the Trump administration.
White, 57, was born in Manchester, Connecticut, and graduated from Hermon High School in Maine in 1987. He worked as a hotel bellman and boxing fitness instructor before managing UFC fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, later helping form Zuffa LLC in 2001 alongside Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta to purchase the struggling UFC for about $2 million. White has served as UFC president and later became CEO after a 2023 merger involving WWE created TKO Group Holdings. He also runs Power Slap and Zuffa Boxing.
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