White House to host UFC fight, US President Donald Trump says
Addressing the crowd during an appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Trump said: "Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We're going to have a UFC fight. We're going to have a UFC fight - think of this - on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there."UFC boss to promote Trump's 'fighter' image at RNC finaleListen: Donald Trump, UFC and WWE: The love affairFollowing Trump's announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans on X, writing: "It's going to be EPIC!"Trump's links to UFC date back more than 20 years. In 2001, he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when White was struggling to find a venue.
White has backed the president's political career from the beginning, endorsing his presidential bid in 2016, calling Trump a "fighter". Following a failed assassination attempt on Trump last year, White described Trump as a "tough guy" and "the legitimate, ultimate, American badass of all time".Trump suggested the UFC event would be one of many to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence on 4 July next year. He said: "Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honour of America250."
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