Dana White of the U.F.C. greeted Andrew Tate and his brother at an event, highlighting a divide among conservatives.
Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is a fight promoter. That means the old saw “all publicity is good publicity” usually applies.
But with a simple greeting, the pugnacious ally of President Trump may have stretched the saying to its limit.
On the other side of a handshake and a hug from Mr. White at his Power Slap event in Las Vegas on Friday were Andrew and Tristan Tate, the controversial internet personalities who recently left Romania, which they had been barred from leaving while facing criminal charges, including human trafficking in continued form. The travel ban was lifted late last month.
In a widely shared video of his interaction with the Tates, Mr. White can be heard saying “Welcome to the States, boys.”
The next night, the Tates were at another of Mr. White’s events when they attended U.F.C. 313.
Mr. White has built a multibillion-dollar business safe for figures who say outrageous and sometimes odious things. A shrewd cultural figure, he has helped define a new, masculinist American mainstream where major brands, right-wing YouTubers and celebrities mix freely.
But by welcoming the Tate brothers — long seen as the misogynistic outer edge of the so-called manosphere and accused of crimes against women — Mr. White has thrown open the tent to such an extent that even some prominent internet commentators who vigorously support Mr. Trump expressed shock.