Former US President Donald Trump suggested to UFC head Dana White that he launch a migrant fighting league (Photo by Gage Skidmore. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).
The stream of consciousness that exits Donald Trump’s mind through his mouth is a faucet without a tap. It is forever flowing outward, often with controversial suggestions.
In the latest twist from the US Presidential candidate and convicted felon, he’s putting forth a suggestion that one way to solve the US immigration problem would be to launch a migrant fighting league.
Trump even insists it’s an idea he bounced off of his close friend Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Today one of the most popular sports in the USA, UFC bouts are generally drawing plenty of action on fight nights at the best ufc betting websites. Tapping into their core audience of tech savvy 18-34-year-old males, UFC cards are always a top seller on the lucrative pay per view market with all of the leading streaming services.
That wasn’t always the case, however. In the early years of the promotion when it was still seeking to gain a foothold on the US sporting landscape, among the early supporters of UFC was Trump. He would play host to UFC cards inside his New Jersey casinos.
Trump Touts Migrant Fighting League
Speaking on June 22 at the Road To Majority policy conference in Washington, D.C., a symposium organized by the conservative Christian Faith and Freedom Coalition, Trump put forth the suggestion that he’d discussed the organization of a migrant fighting league with White.
The moment came during a portion of his speech when Trump began discussing the migrant crisis at the southern US border. He shaped his idea as becoming a new division of UFC.
“They’re so tough,” the all-but certain 2024 Republican Presidential nominee said of these migrants who are crossing into the USA, according to a report from Yahoo News. “Dana White, did anyone ever hear of Dana? He’s a legend, right? UFC, Ultimate Fighter, Ultimate Fighting. And he’s a fantastic man. I said, ‘Dana, I have an idea.’”
That was when Trump put into words his notion of having migrants battle it out in their own version of cage fighting.
“‘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 insisted that he suggested to White.
“I think that migrant guy might win. That’s how tough they are.”
Trump then added that White wasn’t very receptive to his new business plan.
“He didn’t like that idea too much, but actually, not the worst idea I’ve ever had,” Trump claimed.
The crowd in attendance responded to Trump’s migrant fighting idea with a mix of laughter and hoots of approval.
Biden Camp Quick To Condemn Trump Idea
It didn’t take long for supporters of US President Joe Biden, the man with whom Trump will again be contesting for the White House during this fall’s election, to condemn the former President’s notion of putting migrants in a cage and in combat against each other.
“Fitting that convicted felon Donald Trump spent his time at a religious conference threatening to round up Latinos, bragging about ripping away Americans’ freedoms, and promising to be even more extreme if he regains power,” Biden spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. “Trump’s incoherent, unhinged tirade showed voters in his own words that he is a threat to our freedoms and is too dangerous to be let anywhere near the White House again.”
On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump has been maintaining the anti-immigration stance that he sought to enforce as President from 2017-21. He has vowed to carry out what he calls the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history” should he be returned to the Oval Office.
White: Trump Was Just Joking
UFC President Dana White insists former President Donald Trump was joking about launching a migrant fighting league (Photo by Andrius Petrucenia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).
Responding to Trump’s suggestion at a press conference following a June 22 UFC card in Saudi Arabia, White was making light of the notion.
“It was a joke,” White insisted. “It was a joke. I saw everybody going crazy online. But yeah. He did say it.”
What is no joke is the close bond between White and Trump. The UFC leader has proven to be a staunch Trump ally throughout the latter’s runs for the White House.
White spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he would endorse Trump for President. The UFC leader again threw his support behind Trump during the 2020 election campaign, speaking on his behalf at a pre-election rally in Colorado.
More recently, White and Trump sat side by side in the Prudential Center at UFC 302 on June 1. That was just two days after Trump was convicted on 34 counts following his New York trial in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 Presidential election through hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
White views his support for Trump as returning the favor that Trump did for him when the UFC was struggling to find homes to host events.
“No arenas wanted us,” White recalled to the Washington Times. “This guy reached out, and he’s always been a friend to me.”
Many UFC Stars Also Trump Supporters
At that UFC card, some of the fighters involved made it a point to seek out Trump. Following a win in his bout, Kevin Holland stopped to shake Trump’s hand as he exited the octagon.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland boldly defended Trump during his post-bout interview with Joe Rogan following his win that night over Paulo Costa.
“President Trump, you’re the man, bro,” Strickland said. “It’s a damn travesty what they’re doing to you. I’ll be donating [to] you, my man. Let’s get it done.”
Colby Covington is another UFC fighter who is unabashedly supportive of Trump.
“He’s the best and biggest fighter we’ve ever had in America,” Covington has said.
In fact, he insists his backing of the former President has hampered his UFC career.
“The judges score against me because they obviously hate Trump,” Covington told NewsMax. “The people in these positions have big-time Trump derangement syndrome, so that’s definitely hurt me in my career.”
