UFC’s Trump ties couldn’t save it from political backlash

Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post

Karim Zidan looks at the the political backlash the UFC received for its attempt to hold events during a pandemic despite touting a relationship with Trump. 

After attempting to defy government advisories and vowing to maintain a regular fight schedule, UFC President Dana White announced last week that he had been asked to “stand down” by executives from ESPN and parent company Disney after California Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly called Disney and asked them to intervene.

As a result, UFC 249, which was expected to take place on tribal land in California’s Central Valley, and all subsequent events, have been suspended indefinitely.

It’s ironic, really.

Over the last few years, the UFC has touted its longstanding connection to U.S. President Donald Trump. From a propaganda documentary titled ‘Combatant-in-Chief’ to Dana White speaking at Trump’s rallies, the promotion has made its political stance abundantly clear. And yet, despite enjoying a relationship with the most powerful politician in the U.S., it was ultimately political pressure that put an end to the UFC’s plans to host events during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday — the same day that the UFC made its announcement — Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released a statement condemning the UFC’s plans to go ahead with it April 18 pay-per-view event at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort:

“I’m concerned by reports that Ultimate Fighting Championship plans to hold a pay-per-view event in California, in defiance of the state’s shelter-in-place order. This event would involve dozens of individuals flying to California and driving to a casino for a purpose no one can honestly claim is essential.

“I understand this event is scheduled to take place on tribal land and therefore is not subject to state law. However, at best this event ties up medical resources and sends a message that shelter-in-place orders can be flouted. At worst, participants and support staff could carry the virus back to their home communities and increase its spread.

“I call on Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Tachi-Yokut Tribe to reconsider this event and delay it until a later date. We have to be responsible and mindful of all local, state and federal public health guidelines. Going ahead with this event is not the right move.”

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Feinstein, 86, is a former Mayor of San Francisco and member of the Democratic Party serving as a senior U.S. Senator from California since 1992. She is also the oldest member of the Senate and the longest-tenured female U.S. Senator currently serving. While her career is not without its controversies, she remains a significant voice in the senate and in her home state of California. Therefore, her open opposition to the UFC’s defiant fight show helped pave the way to its inevitable postponement.

The final nail in the coffin, however, was from Governor Gavin Newsom. According to the New York Times, Newsom contacted Disney officials and requested the postponement of the event. Disney, in turn, exerted pressure on ESPN and the UFC.

“ESPN has been in constant contact with the UFC regarding UFC 249,” ESPN said in a statement. “Nobody wants to see sports return more than we do, but we didn’t feel this was the right time for a variety of reasons. ESPN expressed its concerns to the U.F.C. and they understood.”

The event was scheduled to take place at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort, which is owned by the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, part of the Santa Rosa Indian Community. The tribe has sovereignty over the land, so the UFC sought out that location to circumvent California’s stay-at-home order. However, a longstanding federal law, Public Law 280, gives state and local officials in California “broad authority to intervene in criminal and civil matters on tribal land.”

The Times added that state officials “avoided a potentially complicated and uncomfortable situation” with the Tachi Yokut tribe by taking their concerns to Disney. The company, which is based in California, has major interests and investments in the state through its various subsidiaries.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Despite the political pressure which caused the suspension of the UFC’s activities for the foreseeable future, White remained defiant in his interview with ESPN, claiming that the UFC will be the “first sport back” and that “Fight Island is real.” This suggests that the UFC will continue its attempts to host events amid a global pandemic once it is able to secure the necessary infrastructure on a private island. This is where White’s relationship with Trump will once again factor in.

White has long been emboldened by his friendship with Trump. When first asked about his decision to move forward with the UFC show in Brasilia during the outbreak in March, White referenced a conversation he had with Trump.

“I talked to the president and the vice president about this, and they’re taking this very serious,” UFC president Dana White said during an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Thursday. “They’re saying, ‘Be cautious, be careful, but live your life and stop panicking.’ Everybody is panicking, and instead of panicking, we’re actually getting out there and working with doctors and health officials and the government to figure out how to keep the sport safe and continue to put on events.”

The U.S. President recently took part in a conference call with the commissioners of the country’s major sports leagues, including White and others like WWE’s Vince McMahon, and reportedly informed them that he hopes to have fans back in venues by the fall.

”They want to get back,” Trump said of the sports leagues at a subsequent coronavirus task force briefing. “They’ve got to get back. They can’t do this. Their sports weren’t designed for it. The whole concept of our nation wasn’t designed for it. We have to get back. We want to get back soon.”

Given that the UFC boasts its warm ties to the current White House administration, it would come as no surprise if the promotions attempts to follow Trump’s plan for sports to “get back soon.”

The UFC has never been a promotion that faltered in the face of criticism or controversy. In recent years, the leading MMA organization has signed domestic abusers, hosted a Chechen dictator at multiple events, and held shows in authoritarianism countries. If the decision to host UFC 249 was left to White, there is little doubt that he would have gone ahead with the show, maybe even with the White House’s blessing. However, it was his partnering organizations, ESPN and Disney, who succumbed to the political backlash.

While the UFC is a veteran of political chess, it failed to see the surprise play that led to the inevitable checkmate.