Dana White Among 12 Major Sports Executives on Conference Call with Donald Trump

"They want to get back. They gotta get back. They can't do this. Their sports weren't designed for it. The whole concept of our nation wasn't designed for it."

President Trump on today's conversation with various sports executives.

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(: @atrupar) pic.twitter.com/mgy3O053nn

— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) April 4, 2020

Dana White was among 12 major sports commissioners and executives to participate in a conference call with United States President Donald Trump on Saturday.

“Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke by telephone with commissioners of major league sports to discuss the all-of-America response to COVID-19,” read a statement from the White House. “The President recognized the good work being done by many teams and players to care for their communities, workforces and fan bases across the nation. The commissioners thanked president Trump for his national leadership and for his interest in the sports industry. President Trump encouraged them to continue to support their fellow Americans during this challenging time.”

In addition to the UFC president, the following leaders were included on the call: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, MLS commissioner Don Garber, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, IndyCar’s Roger Penske, LPGA commissioner Michael Whan, WWE president Vince McMahon and Breeders Cup President Drew Fleming.

How the call specifically pertained to the UFC is currently unclear, but one topic of interest that was addressed was the start of the NFL season. According to a report from ESPN, Trump was optimistic that the season could start on time with fans in arenas and stadiums by August and September.

If that proves to be true, it would mean the UFC would be able to proceed with its schedule by then, as well. The Las Vegas-based promotion continues to work to secure a location for UFC 249 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. White has been adamant that the event will take place on April 18, although a venue has yet to be revealed.

As of Saturday, the United States had more then 300,000 reported cases of COVID-19 and more than 8,000 deaths.

"They want to get back. They gotta get back. They can't do this. Their sports weren't designed for it,” Trump said in reference to his conversation with the professional sports executives during a news briefing Saturday. “The whole concept of our nation wasn't designed for it.”

Here’s the official list of all those who were present on the call. pic.twitter.com/tFNBwr0D3R

— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) April 4, 2020