Even Newsmax couldn’t help but notice the conditions under which President Trump’s UFC fighting event was taking place, as noted in a May 30 article by Jim Thomas:
The first marquee event, a UFC card on the South Lawn set for June 14, falls just three weeks after a gunman opened fire on a Secret Service checkpoint near the White House and roughly seven weeks after the alleged attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Newsmax made up for that downer of an article by having a UFC fighter hype the even in a June 6 TV appearance:
UFC bantamweight contender Aiemann Zahabi told Newsmax’s “Saturday Report” that next week’s UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn could attract an audience unlike anything the sport has seen before.
“People are saying it’s going to be more watched than the Super Bowl,” Zahabi said. “I’m really excited about getting out in front of fans that maybe have never seen mixed martial arts before, or even watched the UFC.”
The June 14 card, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday celebration, will be held outdoors at the White House, creating what Zahabi called a unique opportunity “to get in front of new fans.”
Newsmax continued to fluff the UFC event on the day it took place:
- Trump Hails Historic UFC Night at White House
- Justin Gaethje Stuns Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250
- FBI Thwarted Drone, Sniper at WH UFC Event
Still, Newsmax had to do a bit of damage control, courtesy of IFC head Dana White. First up was an article by the apparently unironically named Charlie McCarthy:
UFC will not seek to hold another Freedom 250-type event at the White House in the future, according to CEO Dana White.
White told reporters early Monday that the historic UFC Freedom 250 card on the South Lawn of the White House was a unique undertaking that will not be repeated, citing the enormous cost and logistical challenges involved.
“I can’t afford it,” White said when asked whether he would return if President Donald Trump requested another event, the Washington Examiner reported. “There’s no f***ing way we can do this again.”
When a UFC fighter insulted the wife of a former president, it was Jim Mishler’s turn to conduct damage control:
UFC CEO Dana White distanced himself from comments made by a fighter during a White House fight card, calling remarks about former first lady Michelle Obama “nasty and false.”
Mediaite reported that the comments came on Sunday during UFC Freedom 250, an event held on the White House lawn.
After defeating Derrick Lewis by knockout in a heavyweight bout, Josh Hokit used his post-fight interview with commentator Joe Rogan to shout, “Michelle Obama is a man!”
According to Time magazine, White responded to the remark in a text message Monday.
“I understand that the Obamas are public figures, but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” White told the outlet. “Everyone knows my position on free speech, but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
[…]The incident drew criticism online and prompted questions for the White House.
According to Time, the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mishler apparently made no attempt to contact the White House on his own.