US President Donald Trump has called on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White to take up the role of White House press secretary, although it remains uncertain whether the proposal is a serious offer or a joke.
Trump made the request in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, praising White and suggesting that he would bring an unconventional approach to the position.
“Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other,” Trump wrote, urging the UFC chief to accept the role.
The position became vacant in October following the departure of Katie Zacharia, who reportedly served for only a few days.
Trump also suggested that White bring some prominent UFC fighters to the White House, describing them as individuals who could help protect the country against what he called the “Lunatic Left”.
Among those featured in photographs shared by the president was Russian mixed martial arts star Islam Makhachev.
White appeared to acknowledge the suggestion by posting a photograph of himself behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room on Instagram.
He captioned the image, “On to the next chapter,” but did not clarify whether he was considering the appointment.
The UFC president, who also leads Zuffa Boxing, has maintained a close relationship with Trump for years and has openly supported his presidential campaigns in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
Their association dates back to 2001, when White and his business partners purchased the struggling UFC for $2 million.
At the time, mixed martial arts faced significant opposition in the United States, with some states restricting the sport. Republican Senator John McCain had previously described it as “human cockfighting”.
White has credited Trump with helping the organisation during that period by providing venues for two UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Their relationship has since grown, with White becoming a regular speaker at Republican National Conventions during Trump’s political campaigns. The UFC also held an event on the White House lawn earlier this year.
However, White’s possible appointment could attract attention given his history of disagreements with journalists and criticism of media coverage of the UFC.
He has previously confronted reporters over questions surrounding the organisation and defended its decision to continue hosting fights during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Neither White nor the White House had officially confirmed whether the proposed appointment would go ahead as of the time of reporting.
