By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White said Saturday, Nov. 7, that he will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss an offer to become the administration’s next press secretary, a potential appointment that would bring one of the president’s longtime political allies into a senior White House communications role.
Trump announced the offer in a Truth Social post Saturday while at his golf club in Florida, describing White as “the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” and urging the mixed martial arts executive to accept the position.
The president also suggested that several prominent UFC fighters could join White as assistants, naming current and former champions in a proposal that attracted widespread attention.
“We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!” Trump wrote, according to The Associated Press.
White addressed the announcement during a news conference following a boxing event in London, where he was promoting his Zuffa Boxing organization. Asked about Trump’s offer, he confirmed that he was traveling to Washington for a meeting scheduled Monday, Nov. 9.
“I’m flying to Washington, D.C., right now,” White said. “I’m going to meet with him, we have a meeting on Monday. So I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.”
When questioned about how he could balance a White House position with his responsibilities in professional combat sports, White acknowledged his existing workload.
“Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already,” he said.
White declined to elaborate on previous conversations with Trump or confirm whether he was seriously considering accepting the position. He also discussed plans to expand Zuffa Boxing internationally, including additional events organized with Saudi Arabian financial backing.
Before speaking with reporters, White shared an image of Trump’s announcement on Instagram, along with a photograph showing himself behind the White House press briefing room podium. The image included the words “On to the next chapter.”
According to Reuters’ reporting on the offer, Trump identified several UFC figures he wanted White to bring into the administration, including Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, whom the president referred to as “Kayla Harris.”
The proposal did not specify what responsibilities the fighters would perform or whether any had expressed interest in joining the White House.
Trump’s announcement comes during a broader personnel shake-up following Republican losses in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when Democrats captured control of both chambers of Congress.
On Friday, Trump announced that Stephen Miller, his national homeland security adviser and a leading architect of the administration’s immigration policies, would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.
The president is also seeking a replacement for his press secretary following the brief tenure of Katie Zacharia, who departed after five days in the position last month.
Zacharia had succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who left the role at the end of August. The position has remained vacant since Zacharia’s departure.
The White House press secretary serves as the administration’s primary public spokesperson, conducting press briefings, responding to journalists and communicating the president’s positions on domestic and international developments.
White, 57, has extensive experience addressing reporters as a sports executive but has not held a senior federal government communications position.
His relationship with Trump dates to the early 2000s, when the future president hosted UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during a period when mixed martial arts faced regulatory challenges and struggled for mainstream acceptance.
White has repeatedly credited Trump for supporting the UFC during its early expansion and has remained a prominent political ally.
He spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020 and 2024, publicly supporting Trump’s presidential campaigns. Trump, in turn, has frequently attended UFC events and appeared alongside White at major fights.
The relationship became particularly visible in June 2026, when the UFC staged a major event on the White House South Lawn as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and Trump’s 80th birthday.
The event featured an octagon constructed near the executive mansion, with lighting, sound equipment and large video screens installed for the occasion.
“It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one,” White said afterward.
The administration also maintains an existing connection to the UFC through White House communications director Steven Cheung, who previously worked as a spokesperson for the fighting organization from 2013 to 2016.
Cheung publicly welcomed Trump’s proposal, writing on X, “Hell yeah! Do it, @DanaWhite! It’ll just be like old times!”
Despite the president’s public appeal, questions remain about whether the announcement represents a formal employment offer or an unconventional public exchange between longtime friends.
According to CBS News, some reporting suggested Trump’s announcement may have been partly humorous, particularly given his proposal to recruit UFC fighters as White House assistants.
Neither the White House nor UFC representatives immediately clarified the nature of the offer in response to inquiries Saturday.
White’s forthcoming meeting with Trump is scheduled amid substantial changes in the administration’s leadership and political circumstances. The president faces a new congressional balance of power as Democrats prepare to assume control of the House and Senate in January.
Whether White would relinquish his sports executive responsibilities, attempt to maintain multiple roles or decline the White House position remains unknown.
As of Sunday, Nov. 8, no appointment had been formally confirmed, and White had not publicly accepted or rejected the president’s proposal. His scheduled Monday meeting could provide additional clarity about whether Trump intends to bring the UFC executive into the administration.
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