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Ultimate Fighting Championship
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts
Patrick Blennerhassett
Patrick Blennerhassett

The Takedown | Dana White should wash his hands of Donald Trump if he wants to take UFC to next level

  • Capitol Hill riots should be the final straw for UFC boss in supporting outgoing US president
  • White needs to quietly walk away from the dumpster fire of Trump’s final days in office

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Dana White needs to quietly walk the UFC far away from Donald Trump. Photo: AP
Patrick Blennerhassett

Athletes have always had a precariously hit or miss time when it comes to politics.

LeBron James found himself playing the villain during the NBA’s controversy with the Chinese government, which lingers to this day. Alternatively, US women’s football star Megan Rapinoe found a new level of stardom by getting into a war of words with US President Donald Trump.
Michael Jordan offered probably the first high-profile political controversy of the modern era when he famously said in 1990, “Republicans buy sneakers, too”, a statement he has stood by to this day, and doubled down on during an interview for ESPN’s The Last Dance.
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While athletes have tried their luck with making their political views public in a game of chance, virtually all league commissioners stay as far away from partisanship as possible. Adam Silver and the NBA made a bold statement in returning after the pandemic, writing “Black Lives Matter” across the court in the Orlando bubble where they finished off the 2019-20 season.

There has long been a debate about the role of sports in modern society. It is the calling card of blue collar escapism. Joe Blows across the planet sit down to watch their favourite team with a beer after a long, hard day’s work, and want nothing more than to enjoy the beauty of the game, and teams they love.

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