Jon Wertheim did a Dana White ball washing fluff piece in a disgraceful piece 60 Minutes ran (post Paramount takeover, of course). He doesn’t care about anything except the paycheck and exposure at this point. Very little surprise he’s staying on.

🚨 BIG NEWS. A federal court just declared unlawful and blocked a series of Trump admin policies heavily restricting legal immigration since last December. The judge overturns "pauses" on immigration benefits for nationals of disfavored countries, as well as related policies.

“The event may not be about politics, but politics will be humming in the background regardless.” Every single dopey mainstream write-up fails to connect the dots that this is Trump’s reward to UFC for UFC helping to rehabilitate his image, return to power and stay out of jail. Insane media fail.

Once again, completely fake news. Not true even a little.

Hi, I’m Luke - I’ve been covering MMA professionally for two decades. Here’s an update: Ciryl Gane has not withdrawn from this event. This is total nonsense. As much as we’d all love it if everyone protested Trump, the fighters NEVER will. To them, this is a coveted assignment. Stop the 🧢.

One thing I’m thinking about is that this event could become an annual thing. Trump likes the show and performative adoration. UFC has nothing that can juice its product like the office of the presidency. The BMF belt was supposed to be one and done, too. Just don’t rule it out.

Strickland: a) Later basically walked this back, saying he now might go. b) Posted an AI video on social media today of him beating up in an MMA fight a transgender woman, presumably Dylan Mulvaney. So, yeah. Welcome to MMA, gang.

There’s a weird lie circulating on Bluesky that UFC fighters have backed out of the White House event akin to music performers bailing on Trump’s concert. This is COMPLETELY false. Total B.S. It’d be cool if everyone protested Trump, but the fighters NEVER will. This is a coveted slot to them.

How does no one seem to understand what the actual truth is: the event is political reward for the amount of sports washing and image rehab UFC did for Trump after Jan 6 and then helping to return him to power? There is no other story here. That’s the story. Everything else is just noise.

UFC fighters have not backed out.

They finally asked the asked the Trump admin about Trump buying TKO stock while they’re hosting a UFC event AND pushing pro-TKO legislation. Oz can do little but deflect.

Canada's CBC invited me on their 'Front Burner' podcast to talk about the nature of the connection between the UFC and the Trump administration. This is something I've discussed a lot, but if you're looking for a more condensed version, this might be to your liking. www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-p...

Genuinely unsure if there's a place for me in MMA anymore. What I do know for sure is if I was younger and encountering MMA for the first time, there is no possible way I'd ever become a fan.

They keep repeating this line that Joe has reservations about the event. He does not. He just doesn’t like that it’s outside. But in terms of the UFC partnering with a fascist government, he’s completely silent and that would be the only criticism that mattered, anyway.

“This idea that they're automatically now reconsidering the ideas of the Democratic party is just cope.” Hilarious and true. @lukethomas.bsky.social substack.com/@lukethomasn...

I had low expectations for what this event would mean or how it would present MMA, but it's already so much worse than I thought it would be.

This feels like an inflection point along the lines of "even Bret Michaels decided this was too wack for him but UFC plowed forward."

I like how the criticisms here are just logistical in nature and not that the event exists because the UFC did more than any mainstream actor to launder Trump’s image after Jan 6 and this this event is the UFC’s reward for that.

Especially in cases where the dominant brand in combat sports uses its mainstream appeal to launder Trump’s reputation after he tried to steal the 2020 election and then does its best to boost his candidacy. And also especially if said efforts result in government rewards for said brand.

Dana White keeps pretending there's nothing political about what he or the UFC have done and that there's no transactional relationship between the UFC and Trump. He seems to think every audience he talks to has the reasoning capacity of toddlers. Some thoughts: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmMZ...

One aspect of the UFC's relationship to Trump that mainstream media commentators get wrong is what precisely UFC did for Trump. Many things, but the most important: rehabilitating his image after Jan 6 + supporting a **candidate** for office with rewards that money literally cannot even buy.

The UFC is a great example of everything that's gone wrong in American pop culture, sports, and the economy generally over the past few decades: an organization run entirely for the benefit of its owners that leaves broken minds and bodies in its wake while catering intentionally to awful people.

Over the weekend, the UFC announced this rendering of what MMA cage matches on the White House lawn should look like on June 14. 1/2

*planned for Trump’s birthday

OH MY GOD. Trump is trying to **bribe** senators to approve the $1.8 billion slush fund by CUTTING THEM IN ON THE MONEY. This would be “the total collapse of the constitutional order that our country is built on,” says Liz Oyer, the former pardon attorney for the DOJ:

In 1934, tens of thousands packed into a stadium in Rome to watch Italy win the World Cup. It should have been a celebration of sport and diplomacy. Instead, it was a carefully staged display of fascist power. Listen to episode 1 of Power Plays now www.sportspolitika.news/p/fascist-wo...

An awful example of how our legal immigration system is getting progressively worse.

The UFC did everything possible in its power to return to office a political project that is terrorizing and destroying the lives of immigrants. Miss me with this apologia.

*** NEW RESEARCH *** Images of ICE targeting US cities have been commonplace in since January 2025. What's the economic effect of this new immigration enforcement regime on businesses, both workplaces and retailers, in targeted areas? Thread... 🧵

Trump is personally selecting most of the 4,000-plus spectators for the June 14 UFC fight on the White House lawn, which happens to be his 80th birthday. UFC is paying for the event, but perks are going for $1M+. trib.al/yPdUHos Neither the White House nor the UFC has said where the money is going.

This is corruption framed as a fight for tickets. UFC says it will lose $30 million despite ringside seats selling for $1 million as the White House won't say where that money goes. There are *five* reporters on this byline ignoring blatant corruption. Absolutely pathetic.

@lukethomas.bsky.social Normally I'm not a merch guy but this one was so fucking ridiculous I couldn't help myself; good looking out man!

I can’t get over just how insane this is.

"My relationships have suffered greatly as a result of this... [but] you can't talk about theocratic dictators taking over your sport? I'm sorry, I just can't live that way." @lukethomas.bsky.social on speaking out against the UFC’s MAGA turn, and the price of refusing to play along.

🚨🚨Today is episode 300 of my live chat. That's 300 episodes since moving it to my personal YT channel years ago. Thanks to all who have watched. We'll review ONE Samurai 1 today, preview UFC 328 and UFC Perth plus more. We go live at 3pm ET. www.youtube.com/live/Gk73mgw...

How this warlord is using MMA to build an army www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbDl...

What the actual hell.

Another immigration judge hired by the Trump admin promoted the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, said Haitian migrants were "invading" Ohio, and openly said he wanted to help ICE, who will be one of the parties appearing in front of him as an immigration judge.

Nothing says the White House Correspondents’ Dinner means nothing to the ostensible purpose of honoring journalistic excellence than Dana White being in attendance.

At this point I'd be more surprised if the UFC didn't sign a guy arrested for sex crimes. Being a sexual predator is actually considered the best base for MMA.

DC statehood yesterday

It’s real! It’s really real! Preorder at the link in my bio right now, it’s good, I promise!

Leaving aside the basic fact of its absurdity - no, the average IQ in Somalia isn’t 70 - all I see here is a couple of idiots desperate for an unearned reason to think they’re better than others. Pathetic.

DC friends! Come see @wkamaubell.bsky.social perform standup tomorrow night!

A long-overdue conversation with @lukethomas.bsky.social about how MMA — the sport he's loved and covered for decades — has become one of the foremost vectors of right-wing politics in America. While Dana White (like so many UFC fans) remains in denial about that very fact: youtu.be/bUIaL-zE2b4?...

There are so many chuds (or worse) at UFC events these days that if you’re a celebrity dapping up whoever, there’s a good chance that person will have been charged or convicted of sex crimes.

UFC is feeling the heat about their gross politicization of their product and comically over the top Trump boosterism, so now they’re pivoting to striving centrist Dems to launder their deserved reputation as a right-wing company.

Swollen RFK Jr. Warns Americans Not Eating Enough Bees https://theonion.com/swollen-rfk-jr-warns-americans-not-eating-enough-bees/

I had an opportunity to talk to @lebatardshow.bsky.social about the UFC going all-in on Donald Trump. What I want everyone to understand is the specific role UFC played for Trump: they were critical in rehabbing his image following Jan 6. That plus more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXCN...