TKO Group President and CEO Mark Shapiro sat down with Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi, where he spoke about the UFC’s relationship with President Donald Trump and what that means for the sport going forward.
According to Shapiro, Trump’s ties to the UFC go back long before politics entered the picture. He explained that Trump was one of the few high-profile figures willing to support the promotion during its early struggles.
“One of the reasons Dana and the President are so close is because when a lot of folks didn’t believe in the UFC, or thought it was ‘too violent,’ and couldn’t get legislated, couldn’t get approvals to bring the show to certain states, President Trump was the first guy to say, ‘Bring it to the Taj Mahal in New Jersey. Like bring it here. I’ll put it on,’” Shapiro said.
Shapiro also pointed to Trump’s long-running involvement with WWE as proof that his interest in combat sports is genuine rather than political.
“He’s also in the WWE Hall of Fame. Folks don’t know that,” Shapiro said. “So he’s a massive fan of both these properties. [Trump] helped Vince McMahon in many ways build and spread the word on WWE and build the fan base into what it is. And he’s done the same thing with Dana.”
When discussing how Trump’s involvement has affected the UFC’s business value, Shapiro recalled a recent UFC event in Miami where the President’s knowledge of the sport stood out.
“He went to the Miami event back in April. And he doesn’t leave the table,” Shapiro said. “I mean he’s sitting Octagon side. He actually turned to Dana and said, ‘Hey, why isn’t Derrick Lewis, one of our athletes, heavyweight, why isn’t he competing on the main card at the White House? Like can you add that?’ And we added a match just for him.”
Shapiro continued by emphasizing how deeply Trump follows the UFC product.
“He knows the athletes, he knows the storylines, he knows the rivalries,” he said. “He’s not there just for show and tell. He’s a true fan.”
That enthusiasm, according to Shapiro, has translated into increased exposure for the promotion.
“I think we’ve really benefited because of the attention he has brought to the UFC,” he said.
The relationship between Trump and the UFC is expected to reach another level with UFC Freedom 250. It is the planned event set to take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, which is both Flag Day and Trump’s birthday.
Shapiro described the event as a massive production, revealing that around $60 million is being invested into making it happen.
“What this is going to bring to the UFC from an awareness standpoint, from a sampling standpoint, from just a priority standpoint, moving us up on the ladder of mainstream sports and entertainment, the global coverage we’re going to have from just all the news outlets that are going to be covering this event from a news perspective, not even sports, this is going to be a cultural impact like no other,” Shapiro said.
