Dana White is tapping out.
The UFC president has had enough of politics and says that he is never getting involved in it again.
“I’m never f***ing doing this again,” White told The New Yorker. “I want nothing to do with this s***.
“It’s gross. It’s disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics.”
That appears to be a sharp U-turn after White was ever-present on the campaign trail with Donald Trump, helping get the Republican candidate re-elected as U.S. president earlier this month.
The UFC president is close friends with the 78-year-old Trump and even made a speech at his victory party at Mar-a-Lago after beating Kamala Harris in the race to the White House.
Trump had tapped the UFC head honcho to speak for him at the last three Republican National Conventions, as well.
But apparently that was enough for White, whose political ties extend to Trump alone and not his party.
Considering the relationship between the two, this might not come as a big surprise to some.
The pair have supported each other’s endeavours over the years, with Trump backing UFC as the MMA organization became the largest combat sports league in the world.
The UFC president continued to compliment Trump this week, hailing him as one of the toughest men he knows – high praise for someone who rubs shoulders with some of the toughest men in sports.
“Donald Trump is tougher and more badass than anybody,” White also told The New Yorker. “You can only pray that you’re a quarter of the man that Donald Trump was when a guy tried to take seven shots at his head with a high-powered rifle with a f***ing scope on it.”
Trump has attended several UFC events in the past, with the most recent being this past weekend.
“As the UFC has grown, there’s been a lot of people that have jumped on the bandwagon and became fans,” White said. “Trump was there from the beginning.”
The president-elect was seated cageside for UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, alongside many from his inner circle, including White, Elon Musk, Trump’s sons and RFK Jr.
Main-event fighters Jon Jones and Bo Nickal both took time after their victories to address Trump at the event.
After scoring a knockout win over Stipe Miocic, Jones imitated Trump’s dance and later shook hands with him.
“A big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” Jones said inside the cage before presenting Trump with the belt.
“I’m proud to be a great American champion. I’m proud to be a Christian-American champion.”