That memory became especially relevant as US president Donald Trump announced plans to host a Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday next year.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters during a Salute to America event in Iowa Thursday, Trump said: “Does anybody watch UFC?
We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House.
Over the past few years, Trump has frequently attended UFC events, basking in the admiration of the young, predominantly male crowd.
Which is why Trump’s plan to stage a UFC event at the White House makes perfect sense.
I worked as a color commentator for a Russian mixed martial arts organization ten years ago, before I became an investigative journalist. The organization was supported by an oligarch who was close to Vladimir Putin.
I was able to pursue unusual stories that would not have been possible without the job, which took me throughout the Russian Federation and its neighboring states. I knocked back vodka shots with former KGB officers and Russian oligarchs, went to an MMA show with the president of Ingushetia (now Russia’s deputy minister of defense), and met a Latvian fighter who escaped a black magic cult led by his coach.
Another instance involved the organization’s attempt to hold an event in Red sq\., one of Russia’s most famous historical and political sites. Additionally, it is close to Russia’s political capital, the Kremlin. The gathering would have given the group and its oligarch the opportunity to win over Putin, a well-known MMA fan who had seen their performances in the past.
At the time, logistical problems, such as layers of bureaucratic red tape and security concerns, made the event impossible. However, the incident remained with me as a reminder of the political undertone that permeates the sport. As US President Donald Trump revealed plans to hold an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House next year to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, that memory became even more poignant.
Trump said, “Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight,” while addressing a group of supporters at a Salute to America event in Iowa on Thursday. Imagine this: the White House grounds will host a UFC bout. There is a lot of land that belongs to us. “.”.
During the press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the news and stated that the president was “dead serious” about holding a UFC event at his official home and office.
Given Trump’s longstanding ties to the UFC, its current owner Ari Emanuel, and its CEO Dana White, the announcement is not shocking.
Trump has been attending UFC events a lot in recent years, enjoying the respect of the young, mostly male audience. In order to project an image of himself as a symbolic strongman, he developed relationships with fighters and used their support. He adopted the machismo, spectacle, and defiance culture of the UFC to support his persona as a rebel against liberal standards. Additionally, it has expedited the replacement of America’s traditional political culture with a harsh new mix of entertainment and combative politics, which Trump and White both exemplify.
The UFC CEO has spent the last eight years campaigning for Trump at numerous rallies and three Republican National Conventions. He created the Trump propaganda documentary Combatant-in-Chief and accompanied the president on Air Force One. White took the stage at Trump’s victory party after he won the 2024 presidential election because, of course, Trump needed his fight promoter to seal the deal.
In January, Trump took office and has since gone to two different UFC events. His most recent appearance was at UFC 316 in June, which took place just hours after he signed a memo directing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles County in response to widespread protests over Ice immigration raids. Despite this, he received a standing ovation from the spectators and enthusiastic applause from the fighters, one of whom even knelt down in front of Trump. As his family and supporters cheered, UFC champion Kayla Harrison embraced him, kissed his cheek, and put her championship belt around his waist. Trump portrays himself as a strongman, and the spectacle was appropriate.
For this reason, Trump’s proposal to host a UFC event at the White House makes perfect sense. It is the inevitable culmination of a collaboration where Maga mythology is staged in the UFC. It has elements of Benito Mussolini’s fascist Italy, especially its fixation on nationalism, spectacle, and masculinity, but with a contemporary, American twist.
Rallies, parades, and sporting events were all used by fascist Italy to demonstrate their power and solidarity. Mussolini used sports, particularly combat sports, to promote his ideal masculinity and present Italy as a strong, independent country. Trump has similarly used the UFC to celebrate his brand of patriotic masculinity and to portray himself as a tough guy. Trump has frequently attempted to incorporate UFC-style machismo into his political brand, from mentioning champions who support him to proposing a competition that would match UFC fighters against undocumented immigrants.
Trump’s presidency has been characterized by the dismantling of federal agencies, crackdowns on immigration and dissent, and the dismantling of institutions that were intended to serve as checks on the abuse of presidential power since he returned to office in January. The main criterion for political advancement is now loyalty to Trump rather than the Constitution and the American people. Sports have become a major aspect of his administration, supporting his policies and portraying violence and a cult of personality. Authoritarianism is characterized by all of these traits.
Previously, the United States could claim at least some moral distance by citing the authoritarian pageantry of governments such as Mussolini’s Italy. You can no longer see that line. On America’s front lawn, soft power—once stolen from strongmen—is now being proudly displayed.
