Trump should take a page from the UFC rulebook on fair fights

I am a fight fan and a progressive. There are lots of us! 

As a child, I read about Jack Johnson and Muhammad Ali. I can quote you every word from the first four Rocky Movies, as well as Creed 1 and Creed 3. I spent my 23rd birthday with my older brothers in Texas watching Manny Pacquiao dominate Joshua Clottey.

I remember the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship, long before Dana White created his current empire. I was lucky enough to become friends with Jon Jones, the greatest mixed martial arts fighter ever to live.

I have always admired the willpower, preparation and self-sacrifice involved in combat sports. Now there’s the 600-ton steel arena looming over the White House and ruins of the East Wing for the UFC bouts that took place this weekend on the South Lawn.

So, my political friends have been reaching out to find out more about mixed martial arts. And my mixed martial arts friends have been reaching out to learn more about politics. I’m here to help.

Well, dictators like to make themselves look strong by using mixed martial arts fighters as political theater. Trump likes to bask in the reflected glory of athletes, first responders and servicemembers. As journalist Karim Zidan has noted, Trump has a history of being seen at UFC matches “to bolster his popularity and divert attention from controversies and criminal convictions.”

And there’s the corruption of Trump and White’s mutually beneficial political and financial dealings, including Trump’s purchase of stock while promoting the White House fight. 

There is a kind of cynical political brilliance to Trump’s embrace........

© The Hill