NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump, amid a stream of cabinet appointments and other preparations for his second term, flew from Florida to UFC 309 on Saturday night for his first public appearance at a major sporting event since winning the election, the New York Times reported.
Clear preparations were being made for Trump inside and outside Madison Square Garden, the site of a heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, one of UFC’s biggest events of the year. Heavy security was present at the arena and in the busy train station that sits underneath. The street on the south side of the arena was closed, which was unusual even compared with Trump’s past attendance for UFC fights at the same venue.
Trump is highly familiar with UFC events, Madison Square Garden and the fight company’s president, Dana White, who was on stage at Trump’s election party earlier this month when Trump celebrated his successful campaign against Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee and vice president.
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In 2019, when Trump held office, he came to Madison Square Garden to watch Jorge Masvidal cut up Nate Diaz, a fight that wasn’t even a formal championship. Days before that card, Trump had changed his residency from New York, where he built up his celebrity, to Florida, home to his Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach.
Five months ago, Trump went to Newark, N.J., to watch Islam Makhachev choke out Dustin Poirier for the lightweight belt, two days after being convicted of charges related to covering up hush money payments to a porn star.
White has repeatedly praised his friendship with Trump and has stumped for him at the Republican National Convention several times and at other campaign rallies. For years, White has credited Trump for helping stage some of UFC’s early fights in Atlantic City, N.J., at the casino resort known then as Trump Taj Mahal. Back then, UFC was seeking wider legitimacy for mixed martial arts with state regulators around the country. Atlantic City was a center for boxing, and UFC made some of its biggest strides when it gained a foothold there and in Las Vegas.
Often at fights, White will walk in side by side with Trump near the start of pay-per-views and sit with him as they watch the bouts, even headliners staged late into the night.
(Photo of Donald Trump and Dana White at UFC 302 in June: Joe Camporeale / Imagn Images)
