• Loading stock data...
Monday, October 6, 2025

Dana White Joins Meta As Company’s Trump-Era Pivot Continues

Mark Zuckerberg’s company continues to align with the incoming administration by naming the longtime UFC CEO and GOP donor to its board.

Trump and Dana White
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Dana White is starting 2025 with a new job in addition to his current one as CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship. 

He’s now a board member of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Meta’s CEO and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg announced White’s appointment Monday along with two other board appointees, two weeks before Donald Trump is set to be sworn in for his second term as president in a move that appears to align Zuckerberg more with the incoming administration. 

White and Trump have been friends for years. Trump’s hotels and casinos were some of the first hosts to UFC events before the brand had the clout to sell out stadiums and arenas. Trump has been a regular at UFC events over the years and White has returned the favor. After Trump won November’s election over Vice President Kamala Harris, White was onstage with him at his Mar-a-Lago home to celebrate his victory. 

White spoke at the Republican National Convention this past summer and donated $10,000 to every state GOP, $371,700 to the Republican National Committee, $60,000 to Texas senator Ted Cruz, and $16,000 to Trump this past election cycle. 

Zuckerberg appeared on Fox News on Tuesday when he announced that Meta will get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes, mirroring what Elon Musk, another Trump ally has done with X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. In another move similar to Musk, Zuckerberg said Meta’s content moderation teams will move from California to Texas “where there is less concern about the bias of our teams.” Musk previously moved Tesla, his electric car company, from California to Texas after years of feuding with the state. 

“We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship,” Zuckerberg said. “The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech. So we are going to get back to our roots, focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms.”

Zuckerberg and White share more than politics. Zuckerberg practices mixed martial arts and has been at a number of UFC events over the years. In 2023, Zuckerberg tore his ACL while training for an MMA fight. 

Before taking some pages out of Musk’s political playbook, the two agreed to fight in a cage match after publicly trading barbs and White even offered to help produce it. Nothing ever came of it and Zuckerberg later said the fight never occurred because Musk wasn’t “serious.” 

White has been an outspoken supporter of free speech and has dismissed any notion that UFC promotes hate speech. 

On New Year’s Eve 2023, White was filmed slapping his wife, Anne, in Mexico after she struck him at a party. While White apologized for the situation and expressed remorse, White was never publicly punished by UFC’s parent company.

“I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand,” Zuckerberg said of White in a release. 

Zuckerberg’s post-election pivot also includes elevating Republican Joel Kaplan as the company’s new president of global affairs.

White joined John Elkann, the CEO of Exor, an Italian holding company, and former Microsoft corporate strategy head Charlie Songhurst as Meta’s newest board members. 

Fittingly, White announced his new position on Instagram. “I love social media,” White wrote. “And I’m excited to be a small part of the future of [artificial intelligence] and emerging technologies.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bad Bunny, U.S. Officials Trade Barbs Over Super Bowl Halftime Show

DHS Secretary Noem attacks the choice, while Bad Bunny responds on SNL.

FIFA Won’t Move 2026 World Cup Matches Despite Trump Remarks

The organization’s VP pushes back on recent comments from Trump.

Paramount+, CBS Land Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing in 5-Year Deal

The CBS Sports parent company expands its relationship with TKO Group Holdings.

Trump Visit Adds Political Theater to Ryder Cup’s Opening Day

President Donald Trump attended the Ryder Cup on Friday afternoon.

Featured Today

Paul Cartier

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium
September 26, 2025

Steelers’ Irish Roots Are Deeper Than NFL Dublin Game

The Steelers have history and the foundation for a future in Ireland.
July 18, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State, speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The final day of the RNC featured a keynote address by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
September 19, 2025

At U.K. Sports Conference, Mike Pompeo Speaks Mostly About Trump

The former Trump official says he used to be a “mediocre power forward.”
Elizabeth Warren
exclusive
September 24, 2025

Sens. Warren, Sanders Press ESPN, NFL, MLB Over Media Deal Concerns

Four prominent members of Congress are worried about ESPN’s deepening ties to leagues.
Sponsored

How Soccer Star Jozy Altidore Became a Buffalo Bills Owner

Jozy Altidore discusses building a business legacy off the field.
Donald Trump
exclusive
September 17, 2025

Trump’s Unprecedented Super Bowl Visit Cost Secret Service More Than $120K

Trump was the first president to attend the Super Bowl.
September 15, 2025

Trump Push to End Quarterly Earnings Has Major Sports Ramifications

U.S. President Trump proposes moving to semi-annual reporting for public companies.
September 12, 2025

NFL, Yankees, Cubs Hold Moments of Silence for Charlie Kirk

The Green Bay moment was an NFL decision, a spokesperson told FOS.
Michelle Wu
September 12, 2025

Josh Kraft, Son of Patriots Owner, Leaves Boston Mayor Race After First-Round..

He challenged Mayor Wu over her support for White Stadium’s costly renovations.