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UFC 299 Video: Former POTUS Donald Trump Gets Overwhelming Ovation in Miami

A charismatic public U.S. figure walked out with UFC CEO Dana White in Miami.

Zain Bando

UFC 299 Video: Former POTUS Donald Trump Gets Overwhelming Ovation in Miami
UFC 299 Video: Former POTUS Donald Trump Gets Overwhelming Ovation in Miami /

For the third time in the last five UFC pay-per-view events, former U.S. President Donald Trump walked out with UFC CEO Dana White Saturday night in Miami, Fla., at UFC 299.

Trump had previously attended back-to-back events near the tail-end of 2023 – UFC 295 and UFC 296.

UFC 299 Results & Live Stream Video Highlights: Sean O'Malley vs. Chito Vera

Trump, the country's 45th president from 2016-2020, was seen in attendance sitting on the Octagon side with White. The pair have been acquainted since White bought the multi-billion-dollar promotion in 2001.

Politics aside, White credits Trump with giving the UFC a chance at early success in the initial years of the Zuffa era. One of the first cities to sanction MMA and allow the UFC to host events under the eventual unified ruleset was Atlantic City, New Jersey, which put on UFC 31 and subsequent events afterward.

In today's UFC landscape, New Jersey, New York, and other portions of the East Coast have hosted cards, largely thanks to Trump's efforts to give the promotion a platform.

White has since befriended Trump, whether at the 2016 Republican National Convention, attending events, or complimenting him for his support during various media scrums.

It's safe to assume UFC 299 won't be the last time Trump makes the Octagon-style entrance to watch the action on the floor.

At press time, the main card is off to a budding start, as Petr Yan and Jack Della Maddalena have won their respective bouts, and there are still three more to go.

In a highly-anticipated rematch, Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera will lock horns for the bantamweight title in the main event nightcap.

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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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