It was 2001, and mixed martial arts fighting was on the ropes.
Banned in 36 states, booted from cable operators, derided as “human cockfighting” – it was such an outcast sport that it traded hands for $2 million. A song.
And the new owners of Ultimate Fighting Championship faced a big challenge. Nobody wanted to host the fights.
“When UFC started, people were like, ‘Oh my God, this is disgusting and horrible. Oh my God, this is brutal,’” Dana White, who would become UFC president and CEO, told USA TODAY.
In came Donald Trump. Long a fan of boxing and often seen ringside in Vegas, he agreed to showcase UFC matches at his Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City. It was the opening White said he needed when few others would touch it.
“Trump was the first guy to give us a shot,” White said.