Story byPhoto by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesAaditya KrishnamurthyWed, January 21, 2026 at 8:30 AM UTC·2 min readDana White has defended the UFC’s planned White House event, saying the sport isn’t becoming political simply because of where it’s being held. UFC president Dana White has responded to questions about the organisation’s upcoming appearance at the White House following concerns about its political overtones. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhite, who has long been open about his friendship with former US president Donald Trump, insisted the event is about sport, not politics. Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCDana White rejects criticism of UFC’s White House visitDana White said the criticism of the UFC’s White House appearance misses the point of the event. He explained that sports figures have always been part of cultural moments connected to politics. Speaking to Bloomberg, White dismissed the suggestion that the UFC’s presence at the White House makes the sport political, arguing that sports and politics have always naturally intersected through fandom rather than policy. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I don’t know how it would be too political other than it’s at the White House. If you look back throughout history, I think George Bush was a big baseball fan, Obama was an NBA fan, and Trump is a UFC fan.