终极格斗冠军赛（UFC）首席执行官达纳·怀特定于周一与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普会面，商讨出任白宫新闻秘书一事。
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief executive Dana White is set to meet United States President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss taking the job of White House press secretary.
特朗普于周六宣布了这一提议，此前几天，他的共和党在中期选举中遭遇了创纪录的惨败。在Truth Social（真相社交）平台上的一篇帖子中，总统赞扬怀特是“一位暴力的斗士和战士”，并表示他将带领顶尖UFC选手作为“助手”来“保卫我们对抗疯狂的左派”。
Trump announced the offer on Saturday, days after his Republican Party suffered record losses in midterm elections. In a post on Truth Social, the president praised White as “a violent Fighter and Warrior” who would bring along leading UFC fighters as “assistants” to “defend us against the Lunatic Left”.
但这一提议的严肃性仍不得而知。怀特在周六的新闻发布会上确认，他将前往华盛顿特区与特朗普会面。但他也表达了对现有工作量的担忧。
But it remains unclear how serious the offer is. In a news conference on Saturday, White confirmed he would travel to Washington, DC, to meet with Trump. But he also signalled concerns about his existing workload.
“我已经有很多工作了，”这位特朗普的盟友和捐赠者怀特说。“我们周一有个会面，所以我相信到时候我会有更多情况可谈。”
“I got a lot of jobs already,” White, a Trump ally and donor, said. “We have a meeting on Monday, so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about after that.”
怀特还在Instagram Stories（动态）上发布了一张自己站在白宫讲台后的照片。配文写道，“开启下一章。”特朗普也发布了自己生成的关于这一潜在任命的AI梗图。
White also posted a photo to Instagram Stories of himself standing behind the White House podium. Its caption read, “On to the next chapter.”Trump, too, posted his own AI-generated memes about the potential hire.
周日，他分享了一段动画短片，画面中怀特身处白宫简报室，两侧站着一排斗士。其中一名斗士将一名提问“特朗普是否对民主构成威胁？”的记者摔倒在地。自凯蒂·扎卡里亚短暂任期于上月结束以来，新闻秘书一职一直空缺。她在被任命五天内离职，此前她因自称律师却未在美国获得执照而面临批评。
On Sunday, he shared an animated cartoon of White in the White House briefing room, flanked by a row of fighters. One of them body-slams a reporter who asks, “Is Trump a threat to democracy?”The press secretary role has been vacant since Katie Zacharia’s brief tenure ended last month. She left the post within five days of being hired after facing criticism that she presented herself as a lawyer without being licensed in the US.
扎卡里亚继任了卡罗琳·莱维特，后者于8月底卸任，理由是需要照顾日益壮大的家庭。
Zacharia succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down from the role at the end of August, citing the needs of her growing family.
但为什么一家综合格斗企业的掌门人会被考虑成为特朗普政府的新公众面孔？半岛电视台在本简要解读中对此及其他问题进行了解释。达纳·怀特是谁？
But why is the head of a mixed martial arts franchise being considered for the new public face of the Trump administration? Al Jazeera explains that and more in this brief explainer. Who is Dana White?
怀特曾是一名保镖和小有名气的拳击手，他通过在波士顿开设一家拳击馆并训练其他斗士，开启了自己的商业生涯。他后来搬到拉斯维加斯，继续经营健身房并管理新秀拳手。
A former bouncer and small-time boxer, White began his career as a businessman by opening a boxing gym in Boston where he trained other fighters. He later moved to Las Vegas, where he continued to run gyms and manage emerging fighters.
UFC 成立于 1993 年，大约就是怀特重新定居拉斯维加斯的时候。该组织旨在为来自不同流派的拳手——从拳击、摔跤到柔术——提供一个舞台，让他们在“无限制”比赛中相互较量。
The UFC was founded in 1993, at about the time White resettled in Las Vegas. The organisation sought to offer an arena for fighters from different disciplines – from boxing to wrestling to jujitsu – to face each other in “no-holds-barred” competition.
2001 年，怀特说服两位赌场大亨朋友以 200 万美元买下 UFC，并任命他为总裁。从那时起，他通过举办大型赛事和利润丰厚的付费电视转播协议，将公司做大做强。
In 2001, White convinced two casino magnate friends to buy the UFC for $2m and name him president. Since then, he has built the company up through big fights and lucrative pay-per-view television deals.
在随后的二十多年里，他一直是 UFC 的核心人物。怀特被公认为将这一初创品牌打造成为全球性企业，让综合格斗走入主流视野。
He has been a fixture in the UFC in the more than two decades since. White has been credited with turning the fledgling franchise into a global business that brought mixed martial arts into the mainstream.
2016 年，UFC 以 40 亿美元售出；2023 年，在与世界摔角娱乐公司（WWE）完成估值约 210 亿美元的合并后，怀特出任首席执行官。特朗普和怀特是怎么认识的？怀特长期支持特朗普，近十年来多次出现在他的竞选活动现场。
In 2016, the UFC was sold for $4bn, and in 2023, White became its CEO after a merger with World Wrestling Entertainment valued at some $21bn. How do Trump and White know each other? White has been a longtime supporter of Trump, appearing by his side at campaign events for nearly a decade.
特朗普则有举办 UFC 赛事的历史，最早可追溯至 2001 年。当时 UFC 正因运动过于暴力而面临批评，举步维艰。
Trump, in turn, has a history of hosting UFC fights as far back as 2001. At the time, UFC was struggling against criticism that the sport was too violent.
怀特刚刚就任 UFC 总裁，他与特朗普达成协议，将当年的 UFC 锦标赛放在特朗普位于新泽西州大西洋城的泰姬陵赌场举办。第二年，UFC 再次回到泰姬陵赌场。
White had just taken up his position as UFC president, and he and Trump came to an agreement to host that year’s UFC championship at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The next year, the UFC returned to the Taj Mahal.
在 2016 年共和党全国代表大会上为特朗普站台发言时，怀特回忆说，早期的合作为 UFC 打开了大门，让其他场馆也变得可及。
Speaking in support of Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, White recalled how the early collaboration helped open doors for the UFC, making other venues more accessible.
怀特当时说：“没有场馆愿意接纳我们。这位先生伸出了援手，他一直都是我的朋友。” 2016 年大选周期标志着特朗普首次成功竞选公职。2018 年，在特朗普首个总统任期内，怀特受邀访问白宫。
“No arenas wanted us,” White said at the time. “This guy reached out, and he’s always been a friend to me.”The 2016 election cycle would mark Trump’s first successful bid for public office. In 2018, White was invited to visit the White House during Trump’s inaugural term as president.
2020年大选期间，怀特再次为寻求连任的特朗普背书。怀特还向特朗普竞选团队捐款100万美元，并担任当年共和党全国代表大会的关键演讲嘉宾。
During the 2020 elections, White again endorsed Trump as he sought a second term as president. White also donated $1m to Trump’s campaign and was a key speaker at the Republican Party’s national convention that year.
“我认识这个人20年了。自从他当上美国总统后，我们的关系实际上变得更亲密了，”怀特在科罗拉多州的一场集会上对支持者说。“他是个斗士。他热爱这个国家。他为这个国家做了伟大的事情，我们必须再次赢得这场选举。”特朗普在2020年大选中败给了民主党人乔·拜登。但四年后的2024年，他发起了另一次竞选连任的角逐，并成功赢得了第二个任期。在那次竞选期间，特朗普将帮助他接触年轻选民的功劳归于怀特。
“I’ve known this man for 20 years. We’ve actually become even closer since he’s become the president of the United States,” White told supporters at a rally in Colorado. “He’s a fighter. He loves this country. He’s doing great things for this country, and we’ve got to win this election again.”Trump lost the 2020 race to Democrat Joe Biden. But four years later, in 2024, he launched another re-election bid, and successfully won a second term. During that campaign, Trump credited White with helping him connect with younger voters.
“他把我介绍给一些我从未听说过的人，年轻小伙子，”特朗普5月告诉《时代》杂志。“我正接受20岁出头的小伙子采访。我说，‘你们到底是从哪儿认识这些人的？’他们被称为网红。”UFC如何塑造了特朗普的第二个任期？专家表示，特朗普2024年竞选显著受益于其UFC人脉。
“He introduced me to people I never heard of, young kids,” Trump told Time Magazine in May. “I was being interviewed by 20-year-old kids. I’m saying, ‘Where the hell did you meet these people?’ They’re called influencers.”How has UFC shaped Trump’s second term? Experts say Trump’s 2024 campaign benefitted significantly from his UFC connections.
在获胜前，特朗普争取了UFC粉丝西奥·冯和UFC主持人乔·罗根等网红的支持，后者的播客每集拥有约1100万听众。
Ahead of his victory, Trump courted influencers like UFC fan Theo Von and UFC host Joe Rogan, whose podcast boasts about 11 million listeners per episode.
特朗普还利用第二个总统任期提升UFC的知名度，将其某场赛事纳入庆祝美国独立250周年的计划中。
Trump has also used his second term as president to elevate the UFC’s profile, weaving one of its events into plans to celebrate the 250th US Independence Day.
这项被称为“UFC自由250”的赛事获得了在国家纪念碑举办商业活动的不同寻常权限。
Dubbed “UFC Freedom 250”, the tournament was given unusual access to national monuments for a commercial event.
例如，怀特在林肯纪念堂台阶上为选手举办了称重仪式，身着制服的军人担任仪仗队。比赛本身则在白宫草坪上举行。
White, for instance, hosted a weigh-in for fighters on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, with uniformed military personnel standing as an honour guard. The fights themselves were held on the lawn of the White House.
特朗普称该活动是“我们传奇般的白宫历史上最激动人心的日子之一”。
Trump called the event “one of the most exciting days in the history of our fabled White House”.
但批评人士警告称，该活动可能构成利益冲突：据报道，在比赛前几个月，特朗普购买了高达 5 万美元的 TKO Holding 股票，后者是 UFC 的母公司。
But critics warned the event could constitute a conflict of interest: In the months before the fight, Trump reportedly bought up to $50,000 of stock in TKO Holding, the UFC’s parent company.
一起诉讼还质疑 UFC 使用公共设施，称该活动“极其腐败”。这项宣布受到怎样的反响？
A lawsuit also challenged the UFC’s use of public facilities, calling the event “deeply corrupt”. How is the announcement being received?
一些反对派人士将特朗普任命怀特为新闻秘书的想法斥为转移人们对中期选举关注的手段。
Some opposition figures have dismissed Trump’s idea of appointing White as press secretary as a way to distract attention from the midterm elections.
在 11 月 3 日的选举中，特朗普的共和党遭遇创纪录失利，失去了在众议院和参议院的多数党地位。
During the November 3 elections, Trump’s Republican Party suffered record losses, losing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
当选代表科罗拉多州进入众议院的民主党人梅拉特·基罗斯周六表示，特朗普向怀特发出的邀请“表明这个人是多么不严肃，这个政府是多么荒谬”。
Melat Kiros, a Democrat elected to represent Colorado in the House, said on Saturday that Trump’s offer to White “demonstrates how deeply unserious this man is, how ridiculous this administration is”.
与此同时，民主党参议员马克·凯利表示，特朗普的人选引发了关于总统健康状况的疑问。
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, meanwhile, said Trump’s choice raised questions about the president’s wellbeing.
“如果这不危险、如果他不是总统，这本来会很好笑，”凯利说。“世界各国都在因他的所作所为而嘲笑我们。” 还有猜测认为，特朗普可能找错了达娜·怀特。
“It would be really funny if it wasn’t dangerous, if he wasn’t the president,” Kelly said. “Countries around the world are continuing to laugh at us because of what he’s doing.”There has also been some speculation that Trump may have tapped the wrong Dana White.
一位同名女性曾在特朗普第一任期内担任五角大楼发言人。她否认曾被接触过新闻秘书一职。
A woman by the same name formerly worked as a Pentagon spokesperson during Trump’s first term. She has denied being approached for the press secretary role.
“给我发短信祝贺的各位：谢谢，但你们找错达娜·怀特了，”她写道。
“To everyone texting me congratulations: thank you, but you have the wrong Dana White,” she wrote on