Crowd erupts at UFC 287 after they spot Donald Trump at ringside next to Mike Tyson and Dana White
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Former US president Donald Trump was given an incredible reception by fight fans inside the Miami-Dade Arena on what turned out to be a memorable Saturday night.
The 76-year-old made a surprise guest appearance at UFC 287 as the company hosted their first event in Miami for 20 years.
Trump, who became the first president to watch a live UFC event during his tenure in the White House, sat cageside next to close friend Dana White, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and American singer Kid Rock.
And during the action, those inside the 19,000 capacity stadium made some serious noise for the 45th president of the United States, who stood up to thank fans for their support. You can see that moment below.
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The crowd in Florida also erupted when Trump was shown on screen as cheers of ‘USA’ rang out across the arena.
Then, after he lost a unanimous decision in the co-main event against Gilbert Burns, friend Jorge Masvidal branded Trump "the greatest president of all time" in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
Masvidal also retired from UFC, saying: "I don't feel the same when I get in here no more. I love all of you. Thank you everybody for watching. This is where I started my career.
"Sometimes your favorite basketball player ain't got that three-pointer no more, your favorite quarterback loses that rifle. It's been 20-something years. I'm a multi-millionaire. I had nothing when I started. I'm out."
Jorge Masvidal thanks Donald Trump, calls him “greatest President in the history of the world” and then starts a “Let’s go Brandon” chant.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) April 9, 2023
pic.twitter.com/HCp3ckKIoB
In terms of the packed UFC 287 card, Israel Adesanya produced one of the greatest knockout victories in UFC history to retain his middleweight crown.
In round two, Adesanya rocked Brazilian fighter Alex Pereira before catching him again as the champion fell to the floor.
Adesanya proceeded to mimic Pereira’s bow-and-arrow shots, while commentator Joe Rogan called it "one of the greatest knockouts" he had ever seen.
"I hope every one of you behind the screens can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life," the Nigerian-born fighter told Rogan in his post-fight interview.
"But guess what: You will never feel this level of happiness if you don't go for something.
"When they talk s*** about you, when they put a foot on your neck, and if you stay down, you will never get that result."
💥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗬𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥! 💥
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) April 9, 2023
Israel Adesanya defeats Alex Pereira to regain the UFC Middleweight Championship! 👑@stylebender even then busted out his opponent’s celebration #UFC287 🏹
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Thoughts on Trump's appearance at the latest UFC event?
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Featured Image Credit: Instagram/iamakademiks - Twitter/@LoganPaul
Topics: UFC, MMA, Israel Adesanya, Jorge Masvidal, Joe Rogan, Mike Tyson