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UFC president Dana White opened up about the brief chat he had with President Barack Obama during President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year.
White and Obama were seen talking in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington back in January. But White had never spoken about the interaction until Sunday night’s appearance on “60 Minutes.”
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Former President Barack Obama speaks with the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White after the inauguration of President Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)
CBS host Jon Wertheim asked White to respond to fans who have felt that UFC has “taken a side” when it came to politics.
“I am an American citizen. Biden was my president. Trump is my president,” White said. “I was at the inauguration and I was sitting behind all of the ex-presidents and there was this stuff going around like, ‘Dana’s mad-dogging President Obama.’ President Obama turned around, the only president that did, and shook my hand and said, ‘Congratulations on all your success.’ And I said, ‘Thank you very much Mr. President.’
UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
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“That’s what happened. I never talked about that publicly. If President Obama called and said, ‘Hey, I’d like to come see a fight.’ I’d be like, ‘Yeah, buy some tickets and good luck’ or whatever? No, the sitting president or the ex-president of the United States wants to come to your event, you treat them with respect.”
White has been ingrained in the political landscape since he stumped for Trump during his first campaign in 2016. Since then, the UFC boss has been seen at the Republican National Convention and other rallies that have featured Trump.
President Donald Trump prepares to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with UFC CEO Dana White and Elon Musk at the Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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The president has also been at several UFC fights before, during and after his presidency.
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