Early Wednesday morning, as Donald Trump declared victory, he invited Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White onstage during his speech. “This is what happens when the machine comes after you,” White boomed, sounding like he was teeing up a cage match. “This is karma, ladies and gentlemen!”
Why exactly, on the eve of one of the biggest political comebacks in American history, was the man responsible for mainlining mixed martial arts to the mainstream given top billing?
After congratulating Trump and his family, White gave a shout-out to a motley crew of men: Twitch streamer Adin Ross, the YouTube collective called Nelk Boys, plus podcasters Theo Von and Joe Rogan—all media that either Trump or J.D. Vance appeared on this election season. With the exception of Rogan, these names might be unfamiliar to many Americans, but not young American men.
None of these podcasts or streams are inherently political, and neither is the UFC. They are not right-wing media, in any traditional sense of the word. They are, though, the young male mainstream, representing a large but silent minority—one ignored by politicians at best and demonized at worst.