From the ring to the White House: Trump’s combat sports playbook

From boxing to mixed martial arts, Donald Trump has used combat sports to cultivate his image, energise his base, and turn the UFC into a stage for his political project.

Donald Trump had no shortage of options for his first public appearance as president-elect. Yet, just ten days after defeating Kamala Harris in November 2024, he chose to step into the spotlight at an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event – a setting that has become a political home turf for him.
 
Flanked by an entourage of political loyalists, Trump entered the arena to thunderous applause, while a short promotional reel played in the arena, showcasing clips of the president pumping his fist while dramatic music filled the air. 
 
Trump’s entourage included a colourful collection of his prospective cabinet nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Elon Musk, the billionaire who was one of Trump’s biggest campaign funders. 

Trump’s entrance stretched on for more than five minutes. He paused to chat with familiar faces and danced to the Village People’s classic YMCA while the crowd serenaded him with chants of USA! USA!” 

This wasn’t just a night at the fights. This was a victory lap in Trump’s Make America Great Again movement (MAGA).

This was not Trump’s first visit to a UFC event, even as a politician. But it underscored something deeper: the symbiotic relationship between the UFC’s right-wing, hyper-masculine counterculture and Trump’s political fortunes – one that has permanently reshaped American politics.

For those wondering why U.S. politics feel more like an entertainment product than a democratic process, the UFC-Trump alliance offers a crucial clue. Understanding how Trump rose to prominence begins by understanding his relationship to various combat sports such as boxing, pro wrestling, and MMA, as well as how he utilised those sports to remake American politics.

Trump uses boxing to build his brand

On June 27, 1988, 22,000 boxing fans packed the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to watch Mike Tyson – then known as the Baddest Man on the Planet – take on Olympic gold medalist Michael Spinks. 

As the two boxers paced the ring during the pre-fight ceremonies, legendary announcer Michael Buffer paused to make an introduction: 

"He's a man whose success at business epitomises the American dream, the author of the year's bestselling book ‘The Art of the Deal.’ His vision and accomplishments make him the quintessential entrepreneur. Ladies and gentlemen, New Jersey thanks him – our host for this great evening of championship boxing, Mr. Donald J. Trump."

As Buffer’s voice boomed through the arena, Trump is shown on screen, smiling and pointing to himself, as though to say, “Yes, I did this.”

Tyson went on to win the fight in 91 seconds, marking the pinnacle of his boxing career amid a turbulent period in his personal life. 

Trump had paid 11 million US dollars to host the Tyson-Spinks fight, and according to The New York Times, he saw an opportunity amid the turmoil and aligned himself with Tyson to act as his 'advisor' for future negotiations. 

So how did a real estate mogul and casino owner like Trump earn the trust of a fighter like Tyson?

Though the vast majority of Trump’s wealth was derived from his real-estate empire, which he inherited from his father Fred Trump, he became obsessed with expanding the Trump brand.

In 1984, he entered the Atlantic City casino business. He then began hosting boxing fights the following year, having spotted an opportunity to profit off the synergy between live boxing and gambling establishments.

He became involved with Tyson when he bought the live rights to the fighter's bout against Tyrell Biggs in 1987. Trump then bought the live rights to Tyson's fight against Larry Holmes in early 1988, and for the Spinks fight thereafter. All three fights were staged at the convention hall adjoining the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.  

By 1988, Atlantic City was the reigning capital of boxing – and Trump, who understood the appeal of combat sports to the average American, was at the center of the action. For him, the benefits were obvious: increased revenues flowing through his gambling establishments; a chance to mingle with some of the celebrities and politicians who attended Tyson fights, and building an association between the Trump brand and entertainment. 

"I put on these fights because I'm a fan," Trump told The Inquirer in 1988. "I do it because I like it. It's exciting. People really react to it. You wouldn't see this kind of excitement at the opera or ballet.”

However, the Trump-Tyson partnership took a dramatic turn when Tyson found out about rumours that Trump was having an affair with his wife. The boxer got divorced shortly thereafter. 

Then in 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison for raping a beauty pageant contestant. And despite their fallout, Trump appeared on ‘The David Letterman Show’ to defend Tyson after his rape conviction, calling the verdict a “travesty.” 

Trump embraces wrestling spectacle to reinforce his persona

Beyond his interest in boxing, Trump also enjoyed a penchant for professional wrestling. In 1988, he hosted WrestleMania IV, the fourth annual spectacle produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. At the time, wrestling had entered the pop culture zeitgeist with stars like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Trump understood this and wanted a piece of the action.

Trump signed a deal to have Trump Plaza sponsor WrestleMania IV at his convention hall. He ended up enjoying the event so much that he agreed to do so again the next year, marking the only time a city has hosted consecutive WrestleMania events. 

While Trump would appear at several more WrestleMania showcases – including the 2007 Battle of the Billionaires, which ended with Trump shaving WWE founder Vince McMahon’s head on television – legal and financial issues would prevent Trump from hosting the event a third time. 

In 1990, Donald Trump launched the Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino, his third and most ambitious casino project in Atlantic City. Billed as the 'eighth wonder of the world,' the opulent venue was meant to solidify his dominance in the city’s gaming and entertainment scene. However, shortly after its grand opening, the casino began defaulting on interest payments, foreshadowing financial troubles to come.

By 1991, Trump’s financial empire was crumbling. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a move that significantly weakened his influence in the fight business and diminished his ability to host marquee boxing events.

A year later, however, he returned to his Taj Mahal casino, where he hosted a fledgling MMA organisation that would eventually become a defining element of his political success.

Trump gives the struggling UFC its first break

When Donald Trump hosted UFC 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal in February 2001, the organisation was still struggling to find its footing, a far cry from the global powerhouse it would later become.

Founded in the early 1990s, the UFC began as an experiment designed to answer one simple question. Which martial arts discipline was superior? Was it the wrestler? The jiu-jitsu grappler? The karate specialist? Or the boxer? 

The league marketed itself with notorious taglines like 'There are no rules,' underscoring the brutality of a sport with minimal regulations outside of eye-gouging and fish-hooking. 

Within a few years, however, the near-limitless violence of the burgeoning sport caught the attention of U.S. lawmakers like Republican senator John McCain, who famously referred to the organisation in 1996 as “human cockfighting” and led a campaign to ban the UFC. 

As a result, 36 states enacted laws forbidding what they referred to as 'no-holds-barred' fighting, relegating the UFC to a handful of rural states.

By 2000, the UFC was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. While the organisation had made strides in regulation and secured licensing from athletic commissions, it struggled to break into major markets or secure pay-per-view distribution. Facing financial turmoil, its owners ultimately sold the promotion to Las Vegas casino magnates Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, along with their business partner Dana White, a former boxercise instructor turned UFC manager.  

In a twist of fate, the first event under the UFC’s new ownership was held at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino, laying the foundation for their enduring alliance. The UFC went on to host UFC 31 at the Taj Mahal before moving on. 

Trump’s involvement in the UFC’s early days is now the stuff of marketing lore. When the UFC returned to Atlantic City in 2005, Dana White credited Trump as the businessman who gave the UFC its “first shot.” 

“When we first bought this company, no venues would even take us,” White recounted in an interview. 

“Donald Trump was the first guy to say, ‘We’ll do the fights here.’ Trump gave us our first shot over at [Taj Mahal], and then when we left and went to a bigger arena at the Meadowlands, he was one of the first guys there in his seat.”

Trump’s willingness to align with the UFC planted a seed, one that would grow in the years to come. His support signaled not only a belief in the sport’s potential but also foreshadowed a future that blurred the line between the UFC spectacle and his larger-than-life persona. 

In the mid-2000s, the UFC began its long march to mainstream recognition. Stars like Chuck Liddell, Brock Lesnar, and Ronda Rousey fought their way into the hearts of captivated audiences, while the hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter introduced Dana White’s brash, magnetic personality to millions. A broadcast deal with Fox further legitimised the organisation, helping transform it into a cultural phenomenon. 

Meanwhile, Trump was also reinventing himself, finding new ways to command the spotlight. He became a household name as the host of the hit reality show The Apprentice, with his catchphrase “You’re fired!” cementing his image as the ultimate boss.

Dana White turns the UFC into a megaphone for Trump

Though their trajectories diverged in the 14 years following their business dealings at the Trump Taj Mahal, White’s loyalty to Trump never wavered. So, when Trump took the stage to accept the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, he called on the ultimate hype man – the one who knew how to sell a fight – to sell him to America.

When Dana White took the stage at the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) to endorse Trump for president, it marked the beginning of a longstanding and mutually beneficial political alliance between the two entities. 

“Donald Trump is a fighter, and I know he will fight for this country,” White told the crowd during his bombastic speech. 

Since then, White has leveraged the UFC’s vast resources to frame Trump as a symbolic fighter taking on the American establishment. 

In 2018, he visited Trump at the White House alongside former interim welterweight champion and right-wing media figure Colby Covington, posing for photos with a UFC championship belt displayed on Trump’s Oval Office desk. 

He later produced a propaganda documentary rewriting Trump’s history with the UFC to present him as a savvy businessman who saved the organisation from obscurity. The documentary, titled ‘Combatant-in-Chief,’ was a defining example of how the UFC had become a platform for Trump’s MAGA ideology. 

In 2019, Trump became the first U.S. president to attend a UFC event, further underscoring his visible connection with the organisation. Over the next few years, he became a regular presence at UFC fights, with the organisation featuring him prominently in broadcasts and podcasts. 

His appearances further energised the UFC’s growing conservative fanbase, reinforcing the idea that the Octagon was a space where right-leaning values were celebrated.

At the same time, debates over identity politics created polarising schisms within American society. Longstanding political and ideological divisions deepened, fuelled by debates over race, policing, LGBTQ+ rights, gender, and the role of athletes in activism. 

While leagues like the NBA and NFL became arenas for social justice movements – whether through players kneeling during the national anthem or teams advocating for progressive causes – the UFC positioned itself as a defiant alternative. 

This distinction only made the UFC more appealing to a segment of fans who felt alienated by mainstream sports leagues. While American pastimes such as the NBA and NFL were embroiled in societal discourse, the UFC cultivated an identity as the last refuge for America’s fighting spirit. As a result, it emerged not just as a sport, but as a cultural and political force – a new battleground in America’s ever-escalating culture war.

Beyond its direct role in Trump’s campaign events, the UFC has also been involved in some of the Trump administration’s key political strategies, including the ‘Opening Up America Again’ plan in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. 

When the UFC finally held UFC 249 as its first pay-per-view event in the wake of the pandemic, it came as no surprise when Trump appeared on the ESPN broadcast and congratulated the UFCon its efforts to get back to business. 

White continued to deploy the various arms of his billion-dollar empire when it came time to support Trump’s re-election bid in 2020. The UFC president donated 1 million US dollars to pro-Trump super PAC America First Action and spoke at the 2020 Republican national convention  – his second time speaking at the event – as well as at several rallies along the campaign trail. 

Furthermore, several of the UFC’s biggest names also took part in Trump’s campaign events over the years. Retired UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal headlined a ‘Fighters Against Socialism‘ tour across Florida alongside Donald Trump Jr., while former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington hosted a 'MAGA boat parade' in Miami alongside Eric Trump. 

The UFC’s approach to the 2020 election cycle solidified its role as the sports arm of Trump’s political movement. No other American sports league dedicated as much time and effort to promoting Trump and aiding his reelection bid. This alliance highlighted the deepening ties between MMA fighters and the modern American conservative movement – a connection that became even more apparent during the insurrection against the Capitol on 6 January, 2021.

From January 6 to 2024: The UFC helps Trump rebuild his image

"We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.”

These were the words uttered by Trump during a speech near the U.S. Capitol  on 6 January, 2021, where Congress had convened to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Chaos ensued. Fuelled by Trump’s words, the crowd overran police barricades and breached the Capitol building, leading to violent clashes with law enforcement. Five people were killed in the resulting riots, including a Capitol police officer. 

Among the assailants was Scott Fairlamb, a former MMA fighter and gym owner who became the first person to plead guilty to assaulting a police officer during the insurrection. 

Body camera footage showed Fairlamb climbing the scaffolding for the inauguration stage before confronting a police officer. “Are you an American? Act like it!” he shouted before shoving one of them and punching him in the helmet.

The attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the certification of the election results and resulted in widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. 

In total, more than 750 people were sentenced, with more than two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from a few days of intermittent confinement to 22 years in prison. Fairlamb was among them, having been sentenced to 41 months in prison – one of the most severe punishments handed down to any of the hundreds of people charged in the riot at the time. 

Even Trump faced a historic second impeachment and increased scrutiny over his role in inciting the violence. For a while, it seemed as though his political career had come to a flaming end. However, in the months that followed, Trump found sanctuary in the UFC, which became a powerful platform for his return to the public eye. 

In July 2021 - seven months after leaving office and a week after the Manhattan District Attorney indicted the Trump Organization – Trump attended UFC 264 in Las Vegas, where he was greeted with chants of “USA! USA!” from the adoring crowd. 

UFC events gave Trump the opportunity to appear before large, conservative-leaning crowds, where he was guaranteed to be greeted with applause. This consistent visibility at UFC events allowed Trump to recast himself as a popular, resilient figure amid the backlash from January 6, and played a significant role in salvaging his image among his base in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

When Trump launched his 2024 presidential bid, the UFC wasn’t just a backdrop – it was central to his strategy. 

He debuted his TikTok account at UFC 302 in June 2024, made appearances on UFC-adjacent podcasts like ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ and leaned on fighters and executives to court key minority groups, including Arab Americans and Latinos. He even turned UFC president Dana White into his personal hype man, relying on him to rally crowds and defend his campaign in the media. 

Ultimately, it was Trump’s reliance on the UFC and its network of male-influencer podcasts that set the stage for his return to the White House. 

The UFC becomes a tool of political power in Trump’s America

After spending the past eight years and three election cycles as Trump’s fighting avatar, White made a surprising announcement in the wake of the 2024 election. 

Speaking to The New Yorker, White revealed he was done with politics.

"I'm never fucking doing this again. I want nothing to do with this shit. It's gross. It's disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics,” he said.  

Though White insisted that his political earnestness was an exception reserved for Trump, whom he considered a friend, the UFC head honcho had no intention of giving up the political cache and influence he had built up over the past few years. 

This became apparent in January 2025, when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the UFC executive would join his company’s board of directors. The move was widely seen as Zuckerberg’s attempt to ingratiate himself to Trump, who had recently accused the Facebook founder of conspiring against him during the 2020 election. Trump even threatened Zuckerberg with life imprisonment. 

The strategy worked. Zuckerberg was among the tech oligarchs present at Trump’s inauguration, Meanwhile, White was also granted a place of honour at the ceremony, as he was spotted standing behind former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. It was yet another example of the sort of power an MMA promoter had in Trump’s America.  

White was not the only UFC figure present at the inauguration. Former UFC champion Conor McGregor, who recently lost a civil rape case in his native Ireland, was in attendance, as was UFC colour commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan. Even one of Trump’s top White House aides, communications director Steven Cheung, was a spokesperson for the UFC before he joined Trump’s team.

By embedding himself in the UFC’s culture – showing up at events, embracing fighters, and positioning himself as the ultimate anti-establishment tough guy – Trump has borrowed the promotion’s playbook and applied it to the national political stage. His rallies mirror UFC hype videos, his feuds play out like fight promos, and his appeal thrives on the same us-versus-them mentality that fuels combat sports. 

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has attended two UFC events. His most recent appearance was at UFC 316 in June just hours after signing a memo ordering the deployment of 2,000 national guard troops to Los Angeles County in response to mass protests sparked by immigration raids.

Then in July 2025, Trump announced that the UFC would host an event at the White House. The show, which is scheduled to take place in June 2026, is certainly unprecedented. No professional sports event has ever taken place at the workplace and residence of the U.S. President. 
It is also a fitting climax of a partnership in which the UFC has become the stage for Maga mythmaking – advancing Trump’s policies while projecting a cult of personality through the celebration of violence.

This won’t be your typical UFC event. It will be a spectacle befitting the strongman Trump imagines himself to be.