Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for the Republican party in this year’s Presidential election. And while he may be the most polarizing figure in the country, there is one place where he enjoys almost universal popularity: the UFC. But the presidential candidate is never too far away from controversy, and he found himself in a fresh one, after recent comments on migrants, which also involves Dana White. This compelled the UFC CEO to clear the air around it.

Speaking to Faith & Freedom Coalition’s conference in Washington on Saturday as part of his Presidential campaign, Trump claimed that he had approached Dana White with a unique and unconventional idea: “Why don’t you set up a migrant league of fighters and have your regular league of fighters. And then you have the champion of your league — these are the greatest fighters in the world — fight the champion of the migrants.”

Trump seemingly made these comments in jest as a way to demonstrate “how tough they are” since he thinks “the migrants’ guy might win.” These comments have created a furor online and Dana White, at the post-fight press conference after the UFC’s historic first-ever Saudi Arabia card on June 22, was asked by a reporter if Donald Trump asked him “to make a migrant fighting league?”

To this the Power Slap founder clarified that “Its a joke.” In addition, he admitted watching the outrage in the comments online but reiterated that the New Yorker was not serious about the idea. “Yeah, its a joke. I saw everybody going crazy online. But yeah, he did say it.” 

While it may have been a joke, the recent controversy did raise one important question in many people’s minds.

Why are Dana White and Donald Trump so close?

So fond is Donald Trump of Dana White and the UFC that he attended the UFC 302 event in Newark, New Jersey just days after his conviction. This is not surprising, since the two have been friends for over two decades. In the early 2000s, when Dana White and Zuffa took over the UFC, the promotion was struggling for survival. And Trump had helped out Dana White by letting him put on events at his hotel in Atlantic City.

This was at a time when the Las Vegas-based promotion was relegated to putting on its cards in community centers in third-tier cities. And the UFC boss has been extremely grateful for Trump’s support ever since. But the respect and admiration are not one-sided as White has been one of the most fervent Trump supporters throughout his electoral career. This is why the Republican holds White in great esteem and even had him give the Presidential endorsement speech at the Republican National Convention in 2016.

In his appearance on Logan Paul’s ‘Impaulsive’ podcast, the former President spoke highly of White, telling co-host Mike Majlak that “I’m not sure anybody can do the job he [Dana White] does” adding that the UFC CEO is “somebody you really have to respect.” 

What are your thoughts on Dana White’s clarification? Let us know in the comments below.