The Rock is tied directly to TKO, but he is not expected to attend UFC’s upcoming White House event.
TIME Magazine published a story on the UFC event being planned on White House property. The piece noted that Dana White invited several celebrities, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
That is not just a random invite. The Rock sits on TKO’s Board of Directors, and TKO owns both WWE and UFC. So there is a clear business connection there. Even with that connection, sources close to The Rock told TIME that he will not be attending.
The article also looked at Dana White’s long relationship with Donald Trump. White’s first UFC event in charge was UFC 30 in February 2001, and it was held at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Trump said he was blown away by what he saw that night.
“That first night, I went home, I said, ‘This is the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen.’”
Trump also spoke about UFC’s violent reputation.
“The punishment. You know, it’s violent, but when I look at some of these other things, like the bare-knuckle stuff, it’s not that [violent].”
White also talked about why he agreed to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention, even though people around him told him not to do it.
“Everybody said, ‘Don’t do it. Don’t do it.’ It was about more than ‘You don’t want to get into politics.’ The bigger one was ‘He’s never gonna win.’ And I was like, ‘Well, whether he wins or not, the guy’s been a good friend to me.’”
The UFC event already has a lot of attention because of the White House setting. The Rock has a real connection to TKO, WWE, and UFC, but this is one event he is apparently sitting out.
What do you think about The Rock not attending UFC’s White House event despite being on TKO’s Board of Directors? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
