‘A massive f*ck up’: Dana White slams UFC production team for failing to show Donald Trump during UFC 264 broadcast

UFC boss Dana White has slammed his own production team for omitting Donald Trump from the broadcast of UFC 264 on Saturday night, despite the former US President being resoundingly booed by fans during his last appearance.

Trump was among several high-profile guests invited to last weekend's UFC 264 card in Las Vegas, where the 45th President of the United States was on hand to watch Dustin Poirier's injury TKO win against Conor McGregor.

While social media footage shot by fans showed Trump's entry to the T-Mobile Arena – he was saluted by Hollywood star Mel Gibson, no less – he was conspicuously absent from the televised pictures, with some conspiracy theorists suggesting that Trump and the UFC were keen to avoid a repeat of the jeers from some sections of the crowd when he attended the match-up between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz in late 2019.

Not so, says White, who told gossip outlet TMZ Sports that Trump's absence from the televised broadcast wasn't a deliberate one – and that he blamed his production staff for missing a trick to feature the controversial former president.

"We were getting ready to show him right between the co-main and main events, I think you remember that we showed OBJ [Odell Beckham Jr.]," said White.

"We showed OBJ, then it was supposed to go to David Spade, 2 Chainz and then the president, and we had some kind of glitch in the truck.

"Then the Conor fight ended up ending in the second round, so we never got a chance.

"Let me tell you what: massive f*ck up by my production team. But you know, it’s live TV and these things happen."

White is a noted supporter of Trump's and campaigned for him during the previous two Republican National Conventions, while his son, Donald Trump Jr, also called on the services of UFC 'BMF' Jorge Masvidal at a series of campaign stops in Florida ahead of the November election in which Trump was defeated by Joe Biden.

Trump has also courted favor with the UFC's MAGA-preaching welterweight contender Colby Covington, having invited 'Chaos' to a meeting in the Oval Office after the fighter's effusive praise for Trump on social media.