Donald Trump has opened up about how he personally saved the UFC, on a wide-ranging and often-controversial three-hour appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Trump’s highly-anticipated interview on the world’s No 1 podcast dropped on Friday night, and the pair – predictably – spent time chatting about a sport both men are passionate about: mixed martial arts.
In fact, the presidential candidate was quick to explain the part he played in making the UFC the multi-billion-dollar success it has become under the stewardship of Dana White, who Trump labeled ‘the greatest guy’.
Explaining UFC’s initial problems when it launched, Rogan said: ‘It was banned from cable because of Budweiser and John McCain, and you could only get it on DirecTV.’
Trump then jumped in to reveal: ‘And then I came along and I gave him the sites. And he never forgot it. They couldn’t get a site because it was too dangerous and everybody was against it and they couldn’t get licensed.
Donald Trump spent three hours talking to Joe Rogan on his uber-popular podcast
Trump (right) spoke about his long-time friendship with UFC president Dana White
‘And I gave them the first two or three sites. Yep. And they were great. And by the way, I went to the first fight. I said, “I never saw anything like this.” It was crazy. It was so good. Take the best fight you’ve ever seen. It was like that fight, right? It was so good that I gave it to him again and again.’
Trump and White have become good friends over the years, with the latter revealing that the former president calls him most weeks from his private jet to discuss that week’s fights.
Both men have done plenty of favors for each other over the years, and Trump has revealed that White recently cut short a family vacation to help him out at the Republican National Convention just days after the first assassination attempt.
‘I think he’s in a class by himself,’ Trump revealed. ‘He is the greatest guy… He spoke at the whole thing with, you know, I had just been shot.
Rogan works for the UFC alongside his work on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast
Trump hosted one of the early UFC events at his Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City in 2001
‘And he got up and he spoke better than anybody. I mean, who would be better to introduce you? I asked of all the people. I know the biggest people in the world and they all would have loved to have done it. I said, “Dana, would you do it?”
‘You know, it was interesting, he was away. And he said to the people that, you know, one of my guys called, he said, “I won’t be able to do it, I just left with my wife and family.” I said, “hmm”, he said, “no”.
‘I was a little surprised, even though I knew he was very far away. He was in some place, you know, and he deserved it with his family. And then I said, “all right, so we’ll look at who we’re going to get”. And all of a sudden she comes in: “Sir, Dana White just said he’s going to do it. And he’s coming back in tonight.”
‘But, you know, the guy is just an incredible guy. And he’s like a tough champion, but loyal. Yeah. He’s got to be one of your favorite people. He’s one of my favorite people.’
