Donald Trump arrives at UFC 309 at MSG; crowd roars for president-elect weeks after historic rally

Donald Trump made a triumphant return to Madison Square Garden as president-elect on Saturday night, basking in the thunderous applause of fans at UFC 309, just weeks after holding a historic gathering at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Trump has regularly attended UFC events, but this was his first since winning the Nov. 5 election against Vice President Kamala Harris. The sold-out crowd of 19,500 people clapped and cheered as he waved to the crowd and entered with UFC boss Dana White.

Trump was expected to appear at the fight all week, and the rumors were confirmed by Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy director of communications, who captured video of the president-elect boarding his plane to travel to New York.

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FILE – Then-Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, September 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, NC (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

A photo from the plane showed Trump watching the preliminary battles with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom he named earlier this week as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy, who began the 2024 campaign as the Democratic nominee, suspended his bid and joined forces with Trump in August, making him a powerful surrogate and close confidante in the final months of the race.

Other key members of Trump’s team were present. Vivek Ramaswamy, an early 2024 Republican presidential candidate who dropped out of the race and threw his support behind Trump, tweeted a photo of him with Kid Rock during the fight at Madison Square Garden. It was not clear whether they were flying with Trump or traveling separately.

Ramaswamy and Elon Musk have been appointed to lead what Team Trump calls the Department of Government Efficiency, which plans to root out trillions of dollars of waste and fraud in the federal budget.

Trump and White are old friends, with the latter making several appearances during Trump’s pre-election campaign.

DONALD TRUMP GOES TO UFC 309, EXPECTED TO RECEIVE RAW VOICE AFTER ELECTION WIN

White, who said Trump is a “huge fan” of mixed martial arts, played back on rumors that Trump was heading to the Garden during an interview with TMZ Sports.

“I think anything is possible,” White said with a smile. ‘Who knows? He might come in.”

White added that a majority of his organization’s fan base has shown love for Trump over the years.

June 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Former President Donald Trump talks with UFC President Dana White during the fight between Cesar Almeida (red gloves) and Roman Kopylov (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

“When you think about fighter strikes, when a fighter walks up to the (octagon), I mean the two biggest ones that actually shake the arena are President Trump and Conor McGregor,” White said. “If he comes (Saturday) evening, it will definitely be fun.”

Trump appeared in June at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for UFC 302, where thunderous applause also rained from the crowd.

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who is back in the octagon after more than two years since his last fight, is a known Trump supporter and was hoping to attend.

“I saw Trump and he said, ‘I’m going to be there on November 16th because we won the election, or if I lose, I’m going to be depressed and I’m not going to show up.’ Obviously he won the election, so it looks like he’ll be there,” Chandler said.

Chandler added that winning his fight for Trump would be an “honor.”

Dana White speaks next to Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, during his rally for the 2024 US presidential election, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida, US, November 6, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Trump’s Oct. 27 rally at Madison Square Garden was a momentous event in his campaign, with a lineup of speakers that rivaled a political convention.

Dozens of elected leaders, Trump’s sons, Don Jr. and Eric, wife Melania, Elon Musk and running mate JD Vance all spoke before Trump took the stage. The meeting attracted a packed house and thousands more supporters milled around the streets outside the legendary arena.

White also spoke at the MSG rally, warning voters that Harris is “status quo” for an America he says is in desperate need of change.

“She can get your party’s nomination without even interacting with voters,” White said. ‘What else? What more can she offer the American people than vague promises and no plan?

‘She talks a lot about the need for change and her hopes for the future. Hope and change. Does that sound familiar? She can use the old Obama playbook, but she’s not Obama, and she’s not an agent of change. She hopes voters will focus on the future because she doesn’t want us to look at the past four years to see what we really need to change.”

Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, pumps his fist as he arrives to speak at a campaign event at the Nassau Coliseum, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Chandler is in the co-main event for UFC 309 and will fight Charles Oliveira. Jon “Bones” Jones also enters the octagon after a long hiatus and will be an overwhelming favorite over Stipe Miocic.

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