President Donald Trump was cheered with a loud standing ovation as he arrived at the UFC pay-per-view event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Despite his ongoing public dispute with Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, Trump decided to set aside their feud for the night and enjoy the intense fights happening inside the Octagon.
Accompanied by UFC President Dana White, President Trump made his way to his VIP seats for the UFC 316 event while Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass” played in the background. This wasn’t the first time Trump and White attended a UFC event together; they also sat together ringside at a card in Madison Square Garden last November, where Elon Musk also joined them.
On his way to his seat, Trump greeted and shook hands with fans and supporters, among them retired boxing legend Mike Tyson. Trump’s entourage included his daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, his son Eric Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, creating a heavyweight group of attendees at the event.
Trump shook hands with the UFC broadcast team that included Joe Rogan. Rogan hosted Trump on his podcast for hours in the final stages of the campaign last year.
UFC fans went wild for Trump and held mobile devices in their outstretched arms to snap pictures of him. Trump is a longtime UFC enthusiast and frequent attendee of major fights.
Trump arrived in time for the start of a card set to include two championship fights. Julianna Peña and Merab Dvalishvili were scheduled to each defend their 135-pound championships.
UFC fighter Kevin Holland choked out Vicente Luque to win the first fight with Trump in the building. He scaled the cage and shook hands with Trump. He briefly chatted with Trump and White before he returned for his post-fight interview.
Trump has been close to White for more than two decades.
White hosted a 2001 UFC battle at Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, and Trump has frequently attended UFC matches since — including during his 2024 campaign. Trump has turned up at fights recently with famous entourages, including White, musician Kid Rock and former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson.
Trump and White’s alliance has yielded dividends for both parties. White stumped for Trump at Republican conventions while men who soak up fight nights threw their support behind Trump in the elections.
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