UFC's Dana White to meet Trump over press secretary offer

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) boss Dana White said he will fly to Washington to discuss US President Donald Trump's offer to become White House press secretary.

Mr Trump urged Mr White to take up the job in a Truth Social post on Saturday, naming several fighters from the mixed martial arts organisation who could serve as assistants.

Speaking to reporters at an event in London, Mr White confirmed he would be meeting with the president.

"I have a meeting on Monday," he said.

"I’m flying to DC right now and I’m sure we’ll have something to talk about after that."

The president wrote on social media: "I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States."

He added: "Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job!"

It remained unclear if the president’s offer was serious and the UFC boss would not comment on whether he would accept the role.

Mr White admitted he had "a lot of jobs already" and declined to reveal details of recent conversations with Mr Trump.

The White House has been without a press secretary since 16 October when Katie Zacharia left the position after less than a week.

Mr White, 57, is president and CEO of the UFC, the largest and most successful mixed martial arts organisation in the world.

Mr Trump also asked for six UFC fighters to join Mr White, including athletes from Russia's Dagestan region, Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Americans Justin Gaethje and Daniel Cormier, and "Kayla Harris", likely a reference to Kayla Harrison.

He also mentioned Amanda Nunes, a Brazilian native who became a US citizen last year.

"We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left," Mr Trump wrote.

The White House amplified the announcement by publishing a screenshot of the president's post on one of its official accounts.

The US president and Mr White are friends, and Mr Trump has often sought to associate his MAGA movement with the hugely popular UFC.

The US leader has also attended bouts in Miami, New York and New Jersey since beginning his second term in the White House.

The White House press office already has a former UFC spokesperson in White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung, who worked for the UFC from 2013 to 2016.

When Mr Trump won re-election in 2024, Dana White appeared alongside him for his victory speech.

Mr White has also joined the board of directors of Meta, a move that some commentators viewed as a sign of the tech company's conservative shift.