In an unusual turn of events, US President Donald Trump on Saturday offered Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White the role of his next White House Press Secretary.
He also asked him to bring some fighters along as assistants, "even though some are not from our country."
Taking to his Truth Social account, Trump announced that Dana White had been offered the position of press secretary. "I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States. I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country," he said.
Deep Dive
Which UFC fighters did Trump ask Dana White to bring as White House assistants?
Did Dana White accept Trump's offer to become White House press secretary?
Why did Trump want UFC fighters to help Dana White?
Which UFC fighters did Trump invite?
Trump invited six current or former UFC titleholders to join White, including two athletes from Russia's Dagestan region, Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov; Americans Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and "Kayla Harris," a reference to Kayla Harrison; and Amanda Nunes, a Brazilian national who became a US citizen last year.
Islam Makhachev: One of UFC MMA's all-time greats, Makhachev won the welterweight championship in November last year by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in New York's Madison Square Garden. He won the UFC Lightweight Championship in October 2022.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: He is the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, with 29 wins and no losses. He gained prominence for defending his title against high-profile opponents like Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. He was inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Justin Gaethje: He is the current UFC Lightweight Champion, defeating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June and ending the latter's unbeaten run at 17 victories. He also has two interim UFC titles and one WSOF title.
{{/usCountry}}Justin Gaethje: He is the current UFC Lightweight Champion, defeating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June and ending the latter's unbeaten run at 17 victories. He also has two interim UFC titles and one WSOF title.
{{/usCountry}}Daniel Cormier: He was a six-time US Olympic Team Member as a wrestler, a World Cup runner-up, and a Pan-American gold medallist. Cormier is the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in both Lightweight and Heavyweight classes.
Kayla Harrison: She is the first female fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship. Harrison won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She joined the UFC in 2024 and won the Bantamweight Championship in June 2025, defeating Julianna Peña.
Amanda Nunes: Nicknamed 'The Lioness', Nunes is widely considered to be one of the greatest female MMA fighters. She is a former two-division UFC champion, having captured the Women's Featherweight Championship and won the Women's Bantamweight Championship twice.
Trump said the group would be needed to defend the administration against what he called the "Lunatic Left".
"We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job," he wrote.
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Speaking at a press conference on Saturday while in London after a boxing event, White said he would meet with Trump at the White House on Monday, as per news agency AP. However, CNN reported that White had turned down Trump's offer and quoted a White House aide saying that the president was "joking" about the offer.
Trump under pressure
Trump's remarks came as the White House press secretary position remains vacant after Karoline Leavitt's departure. Leavitt's replacement, Katie Zacharia, lasted five days in the position after a difficult first press briefing, making her tenure the shortest in the history of the role.
The Trump administration is facing the heat after the Democrats wrested control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the recent US midterm elections. Trump announced that he will make some changes in his administration, appointing longtime aide Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff, succeeding Susie Wiles.
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Dana White has been one of Trump's prominent allies for years, with their association dating back to the early 2000s, when Trump's Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City hosted UFC events. White later became a prominent supporter of Trump's presidential campaign and spoke during his 2024 election-night victory celebration.
White has previously downplayed the prospect of entering politics himself. "I have no personal political aspirations," he told Sports Business Journal in November 2024 when asked about a possible role in the new Trump administration.