MMA analyst Luke Thomas has delivered a sharp response to UFC President Dana White‘s recent claim that he’s “not really even that political,” calling the assertion laughably absurd given White’s extensive support for Donald Trump and the UFC’s transformation into what Thomas describes as a “vector for right-wing politics.”
In a podcast , White attempted to distance himself from his far-right image, stating,
“I’m probably not as far right as everybody thinks I am,”
and even suggesting he
“considered myself to be liberal” before “the world lost its mind.”
Thomas wasn’t buying it.
“I can’t think of a more overt political actor among any major important figure in the entirety of North American sports,”
Thomas fired back, noting that White’s political involvement far exceeds anything seen in other leagues including the NBA’s Black Lives Matter support or NFL activism.
Thomas methodically documented White’s unwavering support for Trump, particularly during the former president’s most controversial moments. When Trump faced four separate criminal indictments in 2023, White repeatedly provided him high-profile platforms at UFC events. After Trump’s March 2023 New York indictment, he appeared at UFC 287 just nine days later. Following his classified documents indictment in June, Trump was at UFC 290 less than a month later. The pattern continued through Trump’s conviction in May 2024, with an appearance at UFC 302 just two days after the verdict.
“At those key moments, it was the UFC under his leadership providing rehabilitation, providing visibility,”
Thomas argued, emphasizing that White spoke at three consecutive Republican National Conventions and was chosen to introduce Trump on election night 2024—a role typically reserved for the candidate’s spouse.
Beyond personal support, Thomas highlighted the downstream effects of the UFC’s rightward shift. MMA stars who previously kept political views private have become Trump surrogates and MMA promotions now openly promote Republican rallies on social media. Thomas pointed to a Northern Virginia promotion using its Instagram to boost a Republican rally before recent elections as evidence of the sport’s transformation.
Thomas dismissed claims that White was simply repaying Trump for hosting early UFC events at the Taj Mahal, noting the UFC didn’t achieve profitability until 2005 with “The Ultimate Fighter” television show—not from those Trump venue appearances. He also rejected the notion that White’s donations to both parties prove neutrality, observing that since 2020, contributions have flowed almost entirely in one direction.
“Whatever happens with this MAGA experiment, whether democracy goes away, whether authoritarianism creeps up, whether we get economic ruin,”
Thomas declared,
“Dana helped make all of this possible.”
He argued that White cannot now claim to be apolitical or moderate after providing critical support to Trump during his lowest political moments, particularly following the January 6th insurrection.
Thomas compared White’s positioning to Joe Rogan‘s similar claims of being “not anti-woke” despite promoting explicitly right-wing viewpoints—a pattern of advancing partisan politics while disguising them as common-sense moderation.
“They’ll act in the most partisan kinds of ways,”
Thomas observed,
“and then they’ll tell you with a straight face” it’s not political at all.
The analyst concluded that White “owns” the consequences of the political project he helped resurrect, stating that the UFC president will be “connected to this political project for the rest of history” regardless of whether he personally agrees with every policy outcome.
