From the Octagon to the Oval office: White, Trump and a 25-year friendship
Key takeaways
- Though 36 states had banned the UFC, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board allowed the then-owner, Semaphore Entertainment Group, to host its first sanctioned event on Nov.
- Dana White attended, not as a UFC official but as the manager of fighter John Lewis.
- Three months later, White returned to Atlantic City as UFC president at Trump's Taj Mahal for UFC 30.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Though 36 states had banned the UFC, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board allowed the then-owner, Semaphore Entertainment Group, to host its first sanctioned event on Nov. 17, 2000, at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, a hotel and casino owned by real estate mogul Donald Trump. Fighter Randy Couture returned to the UFC for the first time since 1997 and recaptured his heavyweight championship against Kevin Randleman in the main event, but the most consequential appearance that night happened in the crowd of 5,000 fans.
Dana White attended, not as a UFC official but as the manager of fighter John Lewis. White was with friends Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta III, brothers who were Las Vegas casino owners and trained in jiu-jitsu under Lewis. As they soaked in the atmosphere, they discussed all the things they could do when the Fertittas' company, Zuffa LLC, owned an MMA promotion.
Three months later, White returned to Atlantic City as UFC president at Trump's Taj Mahal for UFC 30.