Brendan Schaub: UFC hosting event at the White House 'should be celebrated'
The UFC is planning on hosting an event at the White House. This news has been received with a range of reactions, as things often do in today's political climate. However, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub says fans should see the potential event as a positive, regardless of their political affiliation.
MMA, which has been around for about 30 years, battled for decades to gain mainstream approval in the U.S. – from getting the sport sanctioned to getting the product on television. Today, it's a much more different story, as MMA has gained a lot of popularity, especially among young males, and found on ESPN, and it's covered by most, if not all, major publications to some degree.
Schaub sees the UFC's planned event at the White House as another sign of the sport's growth.
"I knew about the UFC White House event – and this isn't a flex – I knew it was confirmed for like four months now," Schaub said on his YouTube channel. "Everyone wants to fight on that card at the White House. It's insane. Now, if you make it political, 'Oh, God. UFC is so tied in with Trump.' Just take all that out of it, whoever you voted for, this is how far the UFC has come: The UFC is fighting at the White House. That's insane, that should be celebrated."
"I don't give a f*ck if Kamala Harris or Pete Buttigieg was the President. Dude, if the UFC is at the White House, it's insane. You know how big that is? That's so cool, despite if you swing right or swing left. Take all that out of it. The UFC is having an event at the freaking White House. That's so cool. Everyone and their mothers wants to fight at the White House."
There has not been an official announcement or booking of the event, but President Donald Trump said last Thursday that next year's Independence Day celebration will involve a UFC event on White House grounds. A UFC spokesperson confirmed the news to NBC on Friday. Trump has long been associated with UFC and MMA, even prior to his presidency. He's often seen at UFC events.
Schaub feels given the nature of the occasion, UFC should put forth their American talent, and mentioned fighters such as Kayla Harrison, Michael Chandler, Colby Covington, and Bo Nickal.
"You're going to have to have American fighters on there, clearly, right?," Schaub said. "We're not going to do this Noche UFC where we have a Brazilian headlining it. We got to have Americans. The problem is we don't have Americans thriving, especially as champ status."
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