Donald Trump has sparked outrage after attending a UFC bout in Miami alongside Marco Rubio amid the crumbling Iran peace talks.
Discussions between the two nations ended Sunday after 21 hours without a deal.
Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan after talks ended admitting that Iranian negotiators have ‘have chosen not to accept our terms’, including a commitment from Tehran not to seek or develop nuclear weapons.
Three core disputes remain: Iran says it will only reopen the Strait of Hormuz after a deal, roughly 900lbs of enriched uranium remains unresolved, and Tehran is demanding the release of $27 billion in overseas assets.
Amid Vance’s talks, Trump took time to attend UFC 327 alongside daughters Tiffany and Ivanka, granddaughters Kai and Arabella Rose, Secretary of State Rubio and promoter Dana White.
The crowd reaction appeared to be largely positive judging from the Paramount+ broadcast, although the blaring Kid Rock entrance music made it difficult to hear if he was booed or cheered.
But not everyone was pleased to see Trump back in the UFC universe.
‘Does he know he started a war?’ one critic asked on X. ‘Time for UFC I guess?’
‘I mean the world is on fire,’ another added. ‘But hey let’s use some tax money to attend a UFC fight.’
Several critics kept it more succinct: ‘Hard at work for the American people.’
While fight fans retrieved their phones to capture the moment, Trump stopped to greet UFC announcers Jon Anik and Joe Rogan, the latter of whom has been critical of the ongoing war with Iran.
‘Great to have you in the building tonight, Mr. President,’ Anik told Trump as the main fight card was set to begin.
And Trump wasn’t just a spectator on Saturday in Miami. According to White, the President requested UFC veteran Derrick Lewis be added to the upcoming fight card scheduled for the White House on June 14, which happens to be Trump’s birthday. White was all too happy to oblige.
Although Trump was seen mingling with his family between bouts, he looked focused as Paulo Costa defeated Azamat Murzakanov before Carlos Ulberg stopped Jiří Procházka in the main event.
Another Trump ally, kickboxer Andrew Tate, was also on hand, although he didn’t travel to the event with the President and they weren’t spotted chatting.
Tate was joined by his brother, Tristan, both of whom are accused of human trafficking in Romania and the United Kingdom. They’ve denied the allegations, while Andrew has also fought rape accusations in Romania and the UK.
The brothers had their travel restrictions lifted by Romania after Trump officials intervened on their behalf, according to Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu. Trump, however, denied knowing anything about their case last year.
Trump is not the first President to appear at a sporting event during a tense moment for US armed forces.
George W. Bush famously threw out the first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. However, his father, George H.W. Bush, took a pass on first-pitch duties in 1990, instead allowing wife Barbara to do the honors amid the Gulf War with Iraq.
Despite White promoting Trump’s presence at UFC 327 this week, there had been some skepticism about the President’s attendance, given the fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran.
And it was business as usual for Trump earlier in the day. Prior to flying to Miami on Saturday, Trump was asked about China’s reported threats to send air defense systems to Iran.
‘If China does that, China is gonna have big problems,’ he said prior to leaving for Joint Base Andrews.
But Trump has always enjoyed the UFC and its CEO, White, so Saturday’s appearance in Miami didn’t come as a complete surprise.
Since launching his political career in 2015, Trump has tapped White to speak for him at the last three Republican National Conventions, leading many to wonder if the MMA promoter could serve a greater role in the White House.
‘His base is Trump’s base,’ Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s former White House counselor, previously told The New York Times of White. ‘And Trump’s base is his base.’
White, however, has downplayed any potential Trump appointment.
‘Donald Trump is one of my very good friends,’ White told Sports Business Journal through a spokesperson in 2024. ‘He did a great job in his last term as president, and I know he will do an even better job the next four years. I have no personal political aspirations.’
Besides, White could provide a greater service to Trump through what The New York Times has called ‘cage-match politics.’ Trump now makes regular cage-side appearances at UFC events, where fight fans — and the fighters themselves — have showered the former President with his highly sought-after adulation.
And on June 14, Trump will welcome White and the UFC to the White House’s south lawn for an event aimed at celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary on the President’s birthday.
Headlined by a lightweight title bout between Georgia’s Ilia Topuria and American fan-favorite Justin Gaethje, the six-fight card will be seen by only 5,000 lucky invitees. Meanwhile, another 80,000 tickets will be given away for fans to watch from a nearby park on a giant scoreboard-sized screen.
While the event has been teased as a major fight card by both the UFC and the White House, many fanatics have remained critical of the matchups and other logistical issues.
For his part, Rogan will be in attendance, but that doesn’t mean he’s happy about the event.
‘Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that,’ Rogan told comedian Mark Normand during a recent episode of his popular podcast. ‘Yeah, I’ll be there but I’m not thrilled about it, it doesn’t seem like a wise idea.’
There had been some question about Rogan’s presence at the White House fight card, given his increasingly complicated relationship with Trump. For what it’s worth, the two did shake hands on Saturday in Miami.
Rogan’s podcast was a pivotal platform for candidate Trump, who had a three-hour interview on the show and secured the host’s endorsement in the days before his 2024 electoral victory.
But in recent weeks, Rogan has criticized Trump’s war with Iran, calling it ‘crazy,’ while also taking aim at the President’s immigration tactics and his Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files.
He’s also dismissed the event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, as a ‘gimmick.’
‘People are criticizing the card, but if it was any other card, it’s a great card it’s just they’re criticizing it because they said it was gonna be the “greatest card of all time” and it’s also just gonna be a security nightmare,’ Rogan said.
‘Also they’re fighting outside,’ he continued. ‘What if it rains? What if it’s hot? You’re in the middle of June, June in D.C. can get pretty warm, that affects fighters.’
White has long resisted outdoor bouts due to potential issues with weather and other factors.
‘We only did one outside fight that I was part of and that was in Abu Dhabi and it was a nightmare,’ Rogan said. ‘It was really hot and there were bugs flying around the size of f***ing birds, it was crazy.’
Rogan will not be the only big name on hand.
Trump confirmed his attendance at UFC Freedom 250 in an interview with Jake Paul earlier this month.
‘It’s going to be amazing at the White House,’ he said. ‘And Dana [White] is a great guy. He’s a good fan of yours, you know. Dana is a good guy. The best. I mean, there’s nobody like him.’
