Trump’s UFC Victory Lap: President-Elect Celebrates Amid Powerful Allies.
In a display of political clout and personal connections, Donald Trump made a high-profile appearance at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 309 event in New York City, basking in the cheers and adulation of the raucous crowd.
The president-elect, fresh off his electoral triumph over Kamala Harris, entered the Maddison Square Garden arena to thunderous music and chants of “USA” from the enthusiastic UFC fans.
Trump spent the majority of the night seated between UFC President Dana White and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, surrounded by some of his key cabinet picks, including Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, who will head Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside Musk.
The president-elect enthusiastically greeted popular podcaster and UFC announcer Joe Rogan, who had previously endorsed Trump’s candidacy. As the UFC played footage celebrating Trump’s electoral victory, the former president waved to the fans and basked in the applause, even engaging in a bit of celebratory dancing.
The highlight of the evening came when reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones approached Trump to personally hand over his title, telling the crowd, “I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight.”
Trump’s deep-rooted connection to the UFC is well-documented, as the former president has been a regular at the organization’s live events over the years. While he has generally received a warm welcome from fans, there were some boos directed at him during a 2019 UFC event, towards the end of his first term in office.
UFC President Dana White has been one of Trump’s most prominent supporters, even going so far as to deliver a speech at the Republican National Convention in July, where he praised the president-elect as “the toughest, most resilient human being I have ever met in my entire life.”
