UFC CEO Dana White set for White House talks after Trump urges him to become press secretary

Dana White has revealed he is heading to Washington for talks with Donald Trump after the US president publicly urged the UFC chief to take over as White House press secretary.

Dana White is set for face-to-face talks with Donald Trump after the US president publicly backed the UFC boss as a surprise candidate for White House press secretary.

The 57-year-old UFC president confirmed he has a meeting lined up with Trump this week after the US leader used his Truth Social platform to publicly urge him to take the role following the departure of press secretary Katie Zacharia.

Speaking at a post-fight press conference in London, White revealed he was travelling to the US capital and expected to know more after sitting down with Trump.

He said: “I’m flying to Washington, D.C., right now.

“I’m going to meet with him on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.”

White also joked that his schedule is already packed due to his existing business commitments.

Trump had earlier lavished praise on one of his longest-standing supporters, describing White as a “fighter and warrior” and urging him to accept the high-profile communications job.

The president wrote that White would make a press secretary “like none other” and publicly encouraged him to take the position.

White appeared to embrace the speculation on social media, sharing an image of himself standing behind the White House press briefing podium.

Alongside the image, he wrote: “On to the next chapter.”

The image was reported to have been AI-generated or AI-edited.

The UFC boss has been a vocal backer of Trump for years and has frequently spoken about the support he received from the businessman-turned-politician during the early days of the mixed martial arts promotion.

Addressing the Republican National Convention during Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016, White said the future president was among the first prominent figures to recognise the UFC’s potential.

Their relationship has remained strong during Trump’s return to office, with the pair also working together on a UFC event to the White House grounds as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States in June.