As President-elect Donald Trump stood and gave a thunderous ovation just before the start of Saturday night's UFC pay-per-view card at Madison Square Garden, there were two things close to his heart: fierce fighting inside the Octagon and New York City.
Trump was accompanied by UFC President Dana White and the pair headed to their cageside seats to Kid Rock's “American Bad Ass.”
Returning to Madison Square Garden means revisiting the place where a comedian created a stir At Trump's rally last month By comparing Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage”. Yet Trump continues to enjoy visits to New York, where he lived for decades before moving to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
The UFC aired a video package of Trump's path to reclaiming the White House, calling it “the greatest comeback in American history” while fans stood and applauded. When the video ended, Trump, wearing a red tie, raised his fist towards the crowd.
The President-elect also shook his fists back and forth and danced briefly to the Village People's “YMCA” just outside the cage. Later he pumped his fist skyward again when “Takin' Care of Business” played.
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Elon Musk, chosen by trump to head a new Department of Government Efficiency, and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined the President-elect and White in the Garden, as did Robert Kennedy Jr. trump's choice To lead the Department of Health and Human Services in his incoming administration.
Trump shook hands with the UFC broadcast team, which included Joe Rogan. Rogan hosted Trump on his podcast Hours into the final stages of the campaign before his election victory last week. The announcers for the pay-per-view audience later announced, “Celebration doesn't even begin to describe this scene” before later announcing, “There are 47 in the building. Let's go.”
The MSG crowd chanted “USA! USA!” Raised slogans. Just before the main card begins and again throughout the action. After a one-year delay, Stipe Miocic is getting his chance at a third heavyweight championship when he takes on defending champion Jon Jones in the main event at UFC 309.
Trump is a longtime UFC enthusiast and frequently attends major bouts. He made promoting hypermasculine tones a signature of his campaign — as he sought to widen the gap among male voters between himself and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump and his top supporters have adopted alpha-male terms and often phrase them with vulgar and derogatory language.
During the election campaign, Trump frequently appeared on podcasts, gaming platforms, and with prominent supporters, touting voting for Trump as a way to display true manhood. While Trump taped a podcast with Rogan, who himself has spoken about hypermasculinity, Harris failed to make a similar appearance, citing scheduling conflicts.
Trump's son Don Jr. also participated in this fight.
Except for a day trip to Washington this week to meet for about two hours Trump has been spending his time since his Election Day victory at Mar-a-Lago, meeting with President Biden and separately addressing House Republicans. The club has hosted festive and conservative events throughout the week.
Trump has been close to White for more than two decades.
White hosted a 2001 UFC fight at the Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Trump has frequently attended UFC matches since then — including during his 2024 campaign. Trump has recently feuded with famous allies including White, musician Kid Rock and former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson.
In 2018, during Trump's first term, he and White starred in a UFC video where the then-President was referred to as the “Combatant in Chief”.
As Trump has tightened his grip on the national Republican Party over the past decade or so, White's personal political profile has risen sharply. White spoke at the 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions, and when the party gathered in Milwaukee last July. He also addressed the crowd at Trump's Florida victory party early the morning after Election Day.
White then said, “This is what happens when the machine comes after you.” “What you've seen over the years is what he looks like: Can't stop him. He keeps going. He doesn't lose.”