Dana White explains Trump's role in new fight for White House UFC event – USA Today

Let’s get to the point: President Donald Trump played an key role Saturday, April 11 in the UFC adding a heavyweight fight to the mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held at the White House June 14.
While Vice President JD Vance was in Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials amid a fragile cease fire, Trump attended for UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. He arrived with Dana White, the UFC’s CEO and a longtime friend of Trump’s.
After the 12 fights at UFC 327 were complete, White announced the UFC was adding to the White House event a heavyweight fight between Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit, a self-styled villain who won a bloody brawl at UFC 327.
Said White, “So what’s crazy is organically, about an hour before (Hokit’s victory), the president said to me, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card? I said, ‘I’ll be back in five minutes.’
“I went and called Derrick Lewis, said the president wants to know why you’re not on the White House card. And Derrick Lewis said, “Politics. Politics kept me off the White House card.”
Lewis is 6-3, 260 pounds and nicknamed “The Black Beast.” They could have just as easily nicknamed him “Unfiltered” for his style when there’s a microphone in his face.
“I’m not trying to be the best fighter in the world,” Lewis once said. “It’s all about the cheddar.”
He also once said, “I know I only need one punch to knock any guy out.”
In fact, Lewis holds the UFC record for most victories by knockout – 16 – and was No. 8 in the UFC heavyweight contender rankings before Saturday night.
But at 41, it’s clear he’s running out of chances to make big cheddar. He has lost five of his past eight fights and is coming off a loss to Waldo “Salsa Boy” Cortes-Acosta by second-round TKO.
That took place Jan. 24, so it was no shock in March that when White announced the six-fight card for the White House Lewis’ name was not among the 12 fighters.
Yet, Lewis said politics kept him from fighting at the White House. Before fully realizing politics suddenly were working in his favor.
On Saturday night, White recalled how his phone call with Lewis proceeded.
“And I said, ‘Do you want to fight on the card?’ White said. “And he said, ‘I absolutely want to fight on the card. Tell the president thank you.’ “
Then, White said, he reached out to Mick Mayard, the UFC’s matchmaker, and told him, “Find a fight for Derrick. Let’s talk about it next week and whatever.”
The story was unfolding much faster than planned.
“Then the Hokit fight happens and Joe Rogan, I had the headphones on,” White said. “Joe Rogan goes, ‘Is there another slot open on the White House card for Hokit? And I go, ‘Holy (expletive).’ So I grabbed Mick and I said, ‘Go back there and talk to see if he’s in.’ And Hokit was getting into an ambulance and said yes.”
Could there be yet another fight added to the card before June 14?
“I shouldn’t have done this one,” White said, referring to the fight between Lewis an Hokit. “But when the president looks at you and says, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the card,’ you put Derrick Lewis on the card immediately.
“Unless (Trump) calls me and tells me to do something else, there will be no more fights added to the card.”

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