On Tuesday, UFC president Dana White was on stage at the Republican National Convention — I hope you guys didn’t think RNC stood for “rear-naked choke” in this context — in Cleveland, Ohio, where he gave a 4 minute speech to the audience about why he is supporting US Presidential nominee Donald Trump. Below is a complete transcript of White’s speech, along with accompanying video at the top of the page. (Video courtesy of Zombie Prophet)
“What’s up, GOP?! Good evening, everyone! My name is Dana White. I am the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. I’m sure most you are wondering, ‘What are you doing here?’ I am not a politician. I am a fight promoter, but I was blown away and honored to be invited here tonight, and I wanted to show up and tell you about my friend, Donald Trump — the Donald Trump that I know.
“In 2001, my partners [Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta] and I bought the UFC, and it was basically considered a bloodsport. State athletic commissions didn’t support us. Arenas around the world refused to host our events. Nobody took us seriously. Nobody. Except Donald Trump. Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC, and encouraged us to build our business. He hosted our first two events [UFC 30 and 31] at his venue [Trump Taj Mahal], he dealt with us personally, he got in the trenches with us, and he made a deal that worked for everyone. On top of that, he showed up for the fight on Saturday night and sat in the front row! Yeah, he’s that guy. He shows up!
“Donald championed the UFC before it was popular, before it grew into a successful business, and I will always be so grateful to him for standing with us in those early days, so tonight I stand with Donald Trump.
“Let me tell you three things that I respect about this man. First, Donald has great business instincts. He supports businesses of all sizes. He’ll make it possible for them to grow and succeed, which is the backbone of a strong economy!
“Second, Donald is a hard worker. This guy is going to get up there, he’s going to roll up his sleeves. He will work with people and he will put in the time to get things done.
“Third, for over 15 years, Donald Trump has been a loyal and supportive friend, and I know that if I needed Donald, he would be there for me, just like he was when I first met him. He’s one of those guys that sometimes he’ll pick up the phone and call me and say ‘Hey, good luck with the fights tonight. I’m going to be watching,’ or whatever it is that we might have going on. And he always reaches out to me when something has happened in my career. Back in 2011 we signed this huge network television deal with FOX. They did a big write-up in the New York Times. Donald took that paper and he wrote on the front and said, ‘Congratulations, Dana! I always knew you were going to do it.’
“Just for the record, Donald has nothing to do with my business. We’re not in business together. His interest in me and my business are personal. In my opinion, you can really tell a person’s true character when they’re happy for somebody else’s success. And I think that sense of loyalty and commitment will translate into how he will run this country. And let’s be honest folks, we need somebody who believes in this country, we need somebody who is proud of this country, and who will fight for this country!
“Let me tell you something. I’ve been in the fight business my whole life. I know fighters. Ladies and gentlemen, Donald Trump is a fighter, and I know he will fight for this country! Thank you very much, have a great evening!”
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