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Former POTUS Donald Trump Attends UFC 296 In Las Vegas (Video)

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Zain Bando

Former POTUS Donald Trump Attends UFC 296 In Las Vegas (Video)
Former POTUS Donald Trump Attends UFC 296 In Las Vegas (Video) /

As expected, former U.S. President Donald Trump is attending UFC 296, supporting Colby Covington's quest for welterweight gold against Leon Edwards.

Trump, as expected, walked out with UFC CEO Dana White and Kid Rock to the tune of a thunderous T-Mobile Arena crowd. Also present cageside included Mario Lopez, Jared Leto and Theo Von among other famous celebrities.

This isn't the first time Trump has attended a UFC event, nor will it be his last. Trump previously attended UFC 295 and UFC 288 earlier in the year while also being present at UFC 264 in 2021 and some of the early UFCs of the Zuffa era.

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Trump was instrumental in the success of the new era of the UFC once White took over the the fledgling MMA organization in Feb. 2001. One of the first states the promotion went to was New Jersey, and given Trump's relationship with Larry Hazard, the director of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Trump granted the promotion's wishes to host a few events at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

By 2016, the UFC's last hurdle for legitimacy across America was getting sanctioned in New York State. Although Trump wasn't directly involved in the approval, he thoroughly supported White and the UFC's first show at MSG, headlined by Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez.

Nonetheless, regardless of his dealings as a leader in America, his impact on the UFC and the sport of MMA will forever be remembered as it continues to exist in the years to come.

UFC 296 has seen some impressive finishes so far, as the championship fights top the bill, and the UFC's year was 2023.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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