How many UFC fighters have visited the White House?
US President invites a winning team to the White House yearly. Find out if any UFC fighter got the invite to the residence of the sitting US President.
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A handful of UFC personalities have ever visited the White House (Image Courtesy - MagicBricks/iStock)
US Presidency and Sports have a close link unlike anything else. The US President invites the winning team in College sports, NFL, NBA, and other major sports league to the White House to recognize their efforts. However, it is a bit different in the case of the UFC. UFC is not a team sport and has only started to garner popularity among the mainstream. Hence, the question remains about the UFC fighters visiting the President as they compete individually, not as a team.
The White House is the official workplace and residence of the President of the United States since 1800. It is located in Washington, DC, and is currently occupied by Joe Biden in his first reign as the President. In his reign as the President, Tom Brady, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited the White House after winning the Superbowl in 2021. Similarly, multiple teams have visited the White House after winning a major trophy.
In the case of UFC fighters, they stayed away from politics for a long time. In the 2000s and 2010s, till the Presidency of Donald Trump, most of the fighters did not talk about politics. Colby Covington became the first outspoken UFC fighter to bring politics into the MMA community and align himself with Donald Trump. After Covington’s impact, fighters like Jake Shields, Jorge Masvidal, and Tyron Woodley have all used their platforms to speak about their political beliefs. Find out if UFC fighters have visited the White House in recent times.
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Who was the first US President to invite a UFC fighter to the White House?
The sport of MMA began in the mid-90s and paved the way for the origin of the UFC. At the time, US Senator John McCain labeled it as “human cock-fighting.” Hence, the sport of MMA struggled to find a wider audience in its early days.
However, it all changed in the 2000s under the leadership of Dana White. Superstars like Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, and Conor McGregor made the UFC a global icon. Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential election. Trump had helped Dana White and the UFC during its dark days.
With the rise of Colby Covington, Trump invited the former champion to the White House. Thus, Donald Trump formally became the first US President to invite a UFC athlete into the White House.
How many UFC fighters have visited the White House?
To this day, only Colby Covington remains the only fighter to visit the White House. However, UFC President Dana White also visited the White House during Trump’s reign. Other Presidents like Barack Obama and George Bush did not invite UFC fighters.
Other champions such as Jon Jones, Islam Makhachev, and Alexander Volkanovski have yet to register any political interest or have an excellent personal relationship with the President. However, if Donald Trump becomes the President again, fight fans can expect more UFC fighters to visit the White House. Trump has an excellent relationship with the UFC crowd.
Has the US President ever invited UFC fighters to the White House?
Yes. Donald Trump invited Colby Covington to the White House.
Who is the first UFC fighter to visit the White House?
Colby Covington is the first UFC fighter to visit the US President at the White House.
Has Dana White visited the White House?
Yes. Dana White visited the White during Donald Trump’s reign as the President.
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Nidhin Shibu
(2537 Articles Published)