How Donald Trump helped save the UFC when no one else would



When the Ultimate Fighting Championship was nearly defunct, Donald Trump gave the organization a platform to display what would become one of the biggest sports empires in the world.

Trump’s relationship with UFC President Dana White dates back to 2001, when the UFC was beloved by only hardcore fight fans.

The organization had gained a cult following in the 1990s with names like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell, and Tito Ortiz headlining cards. Despite the company and those fighters being household names for fathers and sons who rented UFC tapes at their local video store, the company was running on fumes and nearing its end.

Money had dried up so much that owner Semaphore Entertainment Group was unable to fund the DVD releases of its last seven events from 1999-2000; UFC 23-29 subsequently became referred to as the “dark ages” of the UFC.

When Station Casinos executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, along with their business partner White, bought the UFC in 2001, all signs pointed to a failing business.

'I had my attorneys tell me that I was crazy because I wasn’t buying anything.'

White said in 2011 that at first, he and his partners were sports fans looking to invest in boxing. After attending a UFC event, however, the trio began taking jiujitsu classes and fell in love with the sport.

This piqued the group’s interest, and with White managing fighters Liddell and Ortiz, they found the perfect opportunity to get their hands on the company.

“It was going out of business,” White said of the UFC. “I called [the Fertittas] and said, ‘I think this thing’s in trouble, I think we can buy the UFC,’ and a month later we owned the company.”

Lorenzo Fertitta recalled years later that when he bought the UFC, his lawyers couldn’t grasp the purchase, asking him exactly what he was getting in exchange for the large sale price.

“I had my attorneys tell me that I was crazy because I wasn’t buying anything. I was paying $2 million and they were saying 'What are you getting?'" he told Fighter’s Only in 2009.

The owner called the promotion a “never-ending black hole” that kept absorbing his checks as fast as he could write them.

However, with the company now under their belt, White and the Fertittas began plotting how to get the business profitable and started their journey to get sanctioned in flourishing markets.

The Trump Taj Mahal era

For years, the UFC was seen as a barbaric and brutal sport not fit for regular consumption. Different fighting organizations had different rules that were deemed too violent by many jurisdictions.

Visions of knee and soccer kicks to the heads of downed opponents were visions that the new owners had to erase from the minds of legislators.

Therefore, legendary UFC referee John McCarthy worked as part of a group of experienced martial arts experts who met with different governing bodies to establish a set of rules.

The tipping point was when the group teamed up with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to create unified mixed martial arts rules.

'They couldn’t get a venue because of the danger.'

As MMAWeekly noted, this took place in September 2000.

By the time the Fertittas and White took over in January 2001, the UFC had already held one sanctioned event in New Jersey; UFC 28 on November 17, 2000, at the Trump Taj Mahal.

Soon, two more events would take place at the Trump-backed arena: UFC 30 in February 2001 and UFC 31 in May 2001.

Trump talked about the beginning of his relationship with the UFC owners in a 2023 interview with former UFC champion Matt Serra, who fought at one of the Trump Taj Mahal events.

“I respected Dana a lot,” Trump began. “[The UFC] couldn’t get a venue because of the danger. People thought it was so dangerous — and they happened to be right about that — but they couldn't get a venue and I supplied them with a venue.”

White said the same in 2016, telling the Republican National Convention that arenas refused to host UFC events, and nobody took them seriously.

White and the Fertittas knew, however, that although their events were welcomed in New Jersey — and other smaller markets like the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut — they needed to get their shows sanctioned in Nevada under the unified rules.

“It was perceived as being just like death,” Trump continued. “So a lot of the athletic commissions wouldn't do it, and owners wouldn't do it, and they couldn't get venues, and I gave them venues early on.”

Donald Trump and musician Kid Rock at UFC 287 in Miami.Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Trump provided what would become a launching pad for the UFC to prove, under the New Jersey unified rules, that the UFC could be mainstream, professional, and safe, and therefore become recognized by official governing bodies.

The new rules helped the UFC’s image greatly. Fighters now had to wear trunks, specific gloves, and were not permitted to wear any other attire (UFC fighters used to be allowed to wear shoes, gis, and even shirts).

New weight classes were also implemented, from flyweight (125 pounds) all the way up to super heavyweight (over 265 pounds). The latter has only been used once by the UFC, at UFC 28 at the Trump Taj Mahal.

From October 2000 all the way until late June 2021, the Trump Taj Mahal was the only U.S. venue to put on a UFC event.

During this time, the State Athletic Control Board of New Jersey held a meeting to discuss the regulation of mixed martial arts events. Nick Lembo, counsel to the SACB, recalled that the April 2001 meeting proposed uniform rules that were to be agreed upon by several “regulatory bodies, numerous promoters of mixed martial arts events and other interested parties.”

All parties allegedly signed off on the uniform set of rules, with the anticipation of more regulatory bodies adapting them soon thereafter.

Nevada was among the jurisdictions to subsequently adopt the unified rules, and by September 2001, the UFC was hosting its first sanctioned event in Las Vegas.

UFC 33 marked a turn for the company, and while White said years later that “every fight” on the card “sucked,” the event sold out and returned to Pay-Per-View with 75,000 buys.

Modern influence

UFC President Dana White at the Republican National ConventionPhoto by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Now, despite over 200 events in Las Vegas, Trump is still sitting cage-side during many of the organization’s most monumental moments.

His appearances at the events have become headline-makers in their own right, as outlets anticipate which personalities will appear in his entourage and what role their relationship may play in his politics.

“I knew you were a fan,” Serra told Trump in 2024.

Serra recalled that even though UFC 32 was held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey — not the Trump Taj Mahal — Trump was still in the audience.

That love of the sport is not only felt by the fans but by the fighters, as well.

Near limitless UFC athletes have voiced public support for the president in recent years, perhaps most notably Colby Covington, who adopted a “Make America Great Again” hat in 2018.

That support has grown to the biggest athletes in the sport, including heavyweight champion Jon Jones, former “Baddest” UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal, and perpetual contender Michael Chandler.

'Donald championed the UFC before it was popular.'

White himself has explained that his fighters relate to the president for the same reasons Americans do; he is a person who uplifts himself and others around him, often persevering when odds are stacked against him.

“Trump Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC and encouraged us to build our business,” White said in 2016. “He dealt with us personally, he got in the trenches with us, and he made a deal that worked for everyone.”

“Donald championed the UFC before it was popular, before it grew into a successful business, and I will always be grateful ... so grateful to him for standing with us in those early days.”

The UFC now promotes Trump with his own entrance videos and has him walk to his seat as if he is about to fight. Broadcasts feature like-minded celebrities throughout the entire show as part of an ever-growing ecosystem of influencers that has been built between his two administrations.

This relationship between the presidents of both the UFC and the United States appears to be mutually beneficial, but in terms of influence, Trump’s early adoption of the sport seems to be paying dividends.

NJ school district says it mistakenly released names of elementary students who were opted out of controversial sex-ed program



The public school district in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, said it mistakenly released the names of close to 100 elementary students whose families opted them out of a controversial sex-education program last year, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The families of an additional 82 children also were notified that their names may have been released, Cherry Hill Public Schools Superintendent Kwame Morton said last week, the Inquirer added.

'A lot of parents are upset. Somebody needs to be held accountable.'

The paper said the elementary students' names were released in September 2023 after an Open Public Records Act request seeking information about how many parents were excluding their children from the state's controversial new standards on sex education, which include information about gender identity, puberty, and masturbation.

The Inquirer said Morton acknowledged the mistake and noted that the names were removed last week from the OPRAmachine, which assists requesters with accessing public records and is where the 2023 request had been filed.

Morton said the names were redacted in the district’s PDF files but showed up when the OPRAmachine converted the files to a different format, the paper reported. The district used an incorrect redaction procedure, which allowed the names to appear despite being blacked out, Charlie Kratovil, an OPRAmachine leader, added to the Inquirer.

Once district lawyers were made aware of the issue, the paper said they sent a letter to the OPRAmachine to get the names removed. Morton told the Inquirer that the district has implemented new security measures, and employees were retrained on confidentiality rules.

“In no way shape or form was the intention to release any names,” Morton told the paper last week. ”The important thing is not ever is it our intention to harm any child.”

Harvey Vazquez — a parent and former school board candidate — submitted an online complaint last month asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate whether the district violated the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, which protects students’ privacy and education records, the Inquirer said.

More from the paper:

Vazquez, whose 6-year-old son was on the opt-out list, brought up the issue last month at a school board meeting, where Morton says he was first made aware.

Vazquez said the students whose names were made public without parental consent attended Russell Knight, Bret Harte, Richard Stockton, and Thomas Paine elementary schools. A parent notified the district about the release of the names in November 2023, but nothing was done, he said.

Morton confirmed that no action was taken, but said he was not informed about the release at the time.

“A lot of parents are upset,” Vazquez told the Inquirer. “Somebody needs to be held accountable.”

More from the paper:

The unauthorized disclosure came to light during a hotly contested race for three school board seats in Cherry Hill among Vazquez and nine others. Vazquez said he discovered the release after he began investigating the New Jersey Public Education Coalition, which labeled three other candidates in the race as “like-minded.” Vazquez narrowly lost.

The coalition, which touts itself as a nonpartisan group of educators, parents, and other stakeholders, made the OPRA request as part of a statewide project surveying districts. The group wanted to dispute claims that a majority of New Jersey parents had opted out of the new sex-education standards, said its founder Michael Gottesman.

The revised guidelines, which took effect in 2022, prompted an outcry from some parents. The state allowed districts to decide whether to amend their curricula to meet the expectations of what students should learn by the end of second, fifth, eighth, and 12th grade. Parents who believe the instruction conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs may have the student excused from that portion of the course.

Gottesman told the Inquirer that an outside vendor analyzed the coalition’s survey results, and the coalition never saw the students’ names. He added to the paper that he hadn't learned that the names had been disclosed until recently.

“As a coalition, we would never release that type of information,” Gottesman noted to the Inquirer.

Bridget Palmer — one of the newly elected Cherry Hill school board members — told the paper, “There is no arguing that there was a huge mistake made. You can’t undo what has already been done, but we can take steps to make sure it never happens again.”

Vazquez noted to the Inquirer that he wants the district to better explain how the lapse occurred and enact discipline against anyone who was responsible: “There needs to be a public apology. That’s the least they can do.”

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Trump's historic victory foreshadows the unthinkable in New Jersey — and Democrats are nervous about it



As Democrats make excuses for losing yet another election to Donald Trump, more signs of a historic political realignment are emerging.

Look no farther than New Jersey.

'Democrats need to take this extremely seriously by looking at whether this is an individual one-off or if there is something deeper and more systematic.'

A Republican presidential candidate has not won the Garden State since George H.W. Bush in 1988, and Democrats have won the state by double-digit margins since 1996 with one exception: George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

By all accounts, New Jersey is a deep-blue state. But that could be changing.

Even though Kamala Harris won the state on Election Day, her margin of victory was only 5.1%. In other words, Harris had the worst showing for a Democrat in New Jersey since Bill Clinton in 1992, who would have defeated George H.W. Bush by a larger margin had third-party candidate Ross Perot not siphoned away a significant number of votes.

Put another way: Trump lost to Hillary Clinton by 14% in 2016 and to Joe Biden by 16% in 2020 — but by only 5% to Harris in 2024.

What should we think about Trump's robust performance in New Jersey? According to Politico, it means New Jersey could be up for grabs as a swing state in future presidential elections.

Not only are Trump's improving margins eye-popping, but Politico noted that Tuesday's result is "more striking" because Democrats hold a significant voter registration advantage over Republicans in the state — about 900,000.

In light of Trump's performance, Democratic strategist Dan Bryan told Politico that his party needs to wake up.

"Democrats need to take this extremely seriously by looking at whether this is an individual one-off or if there is something deeper and more systematic," he said.

In Hudson County — part of the New York City metro — Trump improved by 9% compared to 2020. Other parts of the New York City area saw similar shifts in Trump's favor.

Jose Arango, the Republican Party chairman of Hudson County, believes he knows why urban voters are shifting toward Trump.

"The Democratic Party talks about helping the poor, but if you talk about Hudson County, it's segregated and the working class, and the liberal enclaves are basically the people who are supporting Wall Street in the places they can’t afford the rent. There's no affordable housing," he told Politico.

Chris Russell, a New Jersey Republican strategist, agrees that Trump's agenda has struck a chord with New Jerseyans.

"I think you saw the beginnings of this in '21," Russell told Politico, referring to Republican Jack Ciattarelli nearly winning election to be New Jersey's governor.

"There's a frustration by voters in New Jersey on economic stuff, on crime issues, and I also think there’s an underbelly in the stuff Trump tapped into culturally," Russell explained. "People are tired of being told they’re bad people, racists, bigots, or Nazis — all these crazy aspersions that are cast on people who support Trump or things that he believes."

Even Gov. Phil Murphy (D) this week described his win three years ago as the "canary in the coal mine" foreshadowing a significant electorate realignment in his state.

Whether a Republican wins New Jersey in future election remains to be seen. But it's clear that New Jersey is not an outlier.

In New York, for example, Trump lost by 23% in 2020. This year, he is poised to lose by only 11%. In California, Trump lost by 29% in 2020 but is currently losing by only 17% this year. This phenomenon — a red shift — happened across the nation, most prominently in historically blue states.

If Republicans lean into what made them successful this year, perhaps there is hope yet for California, New York, Illinois, and other longtime Democratic strongholds.

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Sue Altman Loses Bid To Flip New Jersey District After Backpedaling on Her Progressive Past

Democrat Sue Altman, who spent months trying to shed her far-left ideals, fell to Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in her bid to flip New Jersey’s most contentious congressional district.

The post Sue Altman Loses Bid To Flip New Jersey District After Backpedaling on Her Progressive Past  appeared first on .

Sue Altman Spent Months Distancing Herself From Her Progressive Past. Then a Far-Left Group Spent $735,000 on Her Election Bid.

Democratic New Jersey congressional candidate Sue Altman claimed in September that she had "broken" with the Working Families Party on a range of issues—part of her effort to distance herself from her progressive past as a state chapter leader. But two weeks later, the far-left group began dumping more than $735,000 into the swing-district candidate's election bid.

The post Sue Altman Spent Months Distancing Herself From Her Progressive Past. Then a Far-Left Group Spent $735,000 on Her Election Bid. appeared first on .

ROOKE: In Fewer Than 10 Words, Brian Stelter Lays Bare Democrats’ White Liberal Ignorance Problem

He is merely a representation of his kind– smug, overfed, white liberals.

Teen thug accused of beating, robbing 83-year-old woman in broad daylight — but 3 adults allegedly put him up to it



A 15-year-old male is accused of beating and robbing an 83-year-old woman in broad daylight in front of a New Jersey supermarket last week — but three adults allegedly put him up to it.

Somers Point police said officers responded just before 11 a.m. Oct. 3 to an Acme supermarket in regard to a strong-armed robbery.

'Hoping for a judge who will put them away.'

Police said someone approached an 83-year-old Somers Point woman from behind near the store's entrance and then assaulted her and stole her purse. Somers Point is on the south Jersey shore about a half hour southwest of Atlantic City.

The accused — described as a younger male, possibly white, wearing a mask and dark clothing — fled the scene toward Bethel Road, police said.

The victim suffered facial and upper body injuries, after which she received medical treatment and was released, police said in a follow-up post.

Arrests

Police said they executed multiple search warrants on residences and a vehicle in Atlantic City and Egg Harbor Township to obtain evidence — and then arrested the following individuals:

  • A 15-year-old male from Egg Harbor Township on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, and theft. The teen was taken to Harborfields Juvenile Detention Center.
  • Maria DeSantis, 60, of Woodbine on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit theft, using/employing a juvenile to commit a crime, and receiving stolen property.
  • Charles Ogelsby Jr., 23, of Atlantic City, on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit theft, using/employing a juvenile to commit a crime, and receiving stolen property. Ogelsby also was charged with possession of a defaced firearm.
  • Emily Labaco, 22, of Atlantic City, on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit theft, using/employing a juvenile to commit a crime, and receiving stolen property.

All three adult suspects were taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

How are observers reacting?

Nearly 300 comments have been posted underneath the police department's Facebook post about the incident, and most seemed pleased with the police response. One offered, "Great work! Hoping for a judge who will put them away."

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School Choice Helps Close Performance Gap For Low-Income Students, Study Finds

'Clear policy prescription'

Chick-fil-A workers spot motorist in drive-thru who smells of alcohol — and their alarm heightens when they see his passenger



Quick-thinking employees at a Chick-fil-A in New Jersey may have saved a 6-year-old girl from danger, according to police.

A male motorist went to the drive-thru of the Turnersville fast-food joint with his 6-year-old daughter in his pickup truck.

One of the officers allegedly distracted the daughter so she wouldn't see her father being arrested.

Fast-acting Chick-fil-A workers allegedly noticed the motorist in the drive-thru smelled of alcohol — as well as spotting the young child in his vehicle.

“They smelled alcohol on his breath, and they were able to see all that alcohol inside the car,” Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik told WTXF-TV.

The outlet reported that there was an open beer can in the car — plus a 30-pack of beer, and a trash bag full of empty alcohol containers.

Bodycam video shows officers retrieving the alcohol from the vehicle.

The female Chick-fil-A employee who smelled the alcohol allegedly informed the manager, who in turn contacted police.

In order to prevent the driver from getting back on the roads and potentially causing an accident, Chick-fil-A employees reportedly informed the driver to pull over and wait for his order.

While waiting for his food, police officers made it to restaurant within five minutes and approached the driver before he departed.

Chief Gurcsik noted that the man was "extremely cooperative" with law enforcement.

Upon arrival at the Chick-fil-A, police conducted field sobriety tests — which the driver reportedly failed. The driver took a breathalyzer test that reportedly revealed a blood-alcohol level of .16 — twice the legal limit.

The driver was heard telling cops on the police bodycam footage, "I was just trying to go home and get to bed, you know?"

Police arrested the driver.

One of the officers allegedly distracted the daughter so she wouldn't see her father being arrested.

Officers occupied the 6-year-old girl with food until her grandfather could pick her up.

Gurcsik said, "It could have been a tragic ending for another family or for this family — who we essentially helped Saturday night by taking him off the road."

A manager for the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Turnersville declined to provide a comment to WTXF.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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We All Saw Clearly On Sept. 11, 2001 A Battle Between Good And Evil That Still Rages

Once again, we are in a battle too many Americans do not know we are involved in. Our culture has changed as Americans turn away from God.