After a successful 2024 campaign, Donald Trump will once again serve as President of the United States, thanks in part to support from key figures in the MMA community. UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren believes that the backing of these influential figures helped Trump make unexpected gains among young voters.
Trump’s ties with the UFC go back to 2001 when UFC President Dana White was allowed to host events at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when very few states even allowed MMA to be sanctioned.
Now, the UFC has become the premiere fight promotion in a country where the sport of MMA is legalized in all 50 states, which has resulted in UFC becoming valued at over $12 billion, a figure that seems destined to grow as the sport as a whole grows in popularity.
White’s loyalty to Trump has never wavered since. He has spoken on his behalf in all three Republican National Conventions since Trump first began to delve into politics in 2016.
In this election cycle, White wasn’t alone. UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan publicly endorsed Trump and featured both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance on The Joe Rogan Experience in the final weeks before Election Day. Each episode saw massive viewership, with Trump’s episode hitting over 47 million views on YouTube alone.
Rogan’s podcast audience — largely male and aged 18 to 34 — was instrumental in bolstering Trump’s popularity with young voters. This age group, which leaned heavily toward Joe Biden in 2020, saw 52% support Trump in 2024, a surprising shift from just four years ago.
Campbell McLaren spoke about the election results in an interview with Sportico Friday, saying that it’s no understatement to say that the MMA community “won the election” for Trump.
“Remember, I am a promoter, so I’m allowed a certain amount of hyperbole,” McLaren said of his bold claim. In 30 years, the sport has gone from sort of being an outcast sport. John McCain, Senator McCain, a Republican, was really trying to get it banned. And now, fast forward 30 years, not so fast; it took a while to get here.
“But 30 years. And I think the UFC, Dana White and certainly Joe Rogan played an enormous part in Donald Trump’s popularity, particularly in reaching young men. He acknowledges that. And I think it’s fairly obvious. I think that’s an amazing thing to think about, right? In 30 years, it’s gone from mainstream to political power.”
One could argue that the majority of Rogan’s listeners, many of whom are MMA fans, would likely have voted for Trump over Harris regardless of the podcast appearance. This is especially true when you consider Dana White’s policy of free speech for fighters, even when it happens to go over the line in the eyes of many.
Regardless, Trump played up to his audience, and it worked out.
So don’t be shocked to see other political candidates attempt to use Rogan and sporting leagues like the UFC to gain further popularity in the future.