Former President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance alongside UFC President Dana White at UFC 287 in Miami, despite being indicted on criminal charges earlier in the week.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump surprised UFC fans when he attended UFC 287 alongside UFC President Dana White in Miami. The event took place at the Kaseya Center, located only an hour away from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort. White and Trump have been friends since the early days of the UFC, and Trump has attended several other UFC events, including UFC 244 and UFC 264.
Many were surprised to see Trump at UFC 287, as he had just been indicted on criminal charges earlier in the week in New York. However, Trump is known to confront controversy rather than avoid it. It wasn’t out of character for him to attend UFC 287, especially when the event featured his longtime supporter, Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal was in attendance at a Trump press conference at Mar-a-Lago during a recent episode of UFC 287 Embedded. He also squared off with Gilbert Burns in the UFC 287 co-main event, hoping to fight his way back into the title picture after coming off three consecutive losses. With the former president in attendance, there was extra pressure on Masvidal to put on a good performance.
White posted a photo of himself with the former president backstage at the event, with White holding a couple of “gold bars” that read, “UFC 287, Sold Out.” Trump’s attendance at UFC 287 was just another example of his love for the UFC and his long-standing friendship with Dana White.