Will President-elect Donald Trump Attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden?

Donald Trump has made a tradition of attending major UFC events, and with UFC 309 set for Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, many are speculating whether the newly re-elected president will make an appearance. Headlined by the epic heavyweight showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, the event promises to be one of the most significant in combat sports.

President-elect Trump, who recently triumphed over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, is undoubtedly busy preparing for his second term as he readies key appointments ahead of taking office on January 20. However, his longstanding friendship with UFC CEO Dana White and his history of attending big fights may mean he’ll take a break from the political hustle to sit cageside.

While there’s been no official word as of early Wednesday, two fighters on the UFC 309 card, Michael Chandler and Bo Nickal, hinted that Trump could be in attendance. Chandler shared with TMZ, “He said, ‘I’ll either be there on Nov. 16 because we won the election, or if I lost, I’ll be depressed, and I won’t show up.’ Obviously he won the election, so it sounds like he’s going to be there.” Nickal added on The Ariel Helwani Show, “I think he’s gonna be there. He told me a couple of times that he’s gonna be there. He’s the President. … I’m sure that if he’s not (at UFC 309), there was something else that was more important.”

Trump’s association with the UFC dates back to his first campaign in 2016, where he tapped into support from MMA fans, thanks in part to his bond with Dana White, who even spoke on Trump’s behalf at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Republican National Conventions. The former president was the first sitting U.S. president to attend a UFC event when he was at UFC 244 in November 2019 at Madison Square Garden, where Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz battled for the BMF title. He also attended UFC 264 in 2021 in Las Vegas for the highly publicized Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor trilogy.

Trump ramped up his UFC attendance during his campaign for re-election, showing up at UFC 287 in April 2023 in Miami and later at UFC 295 in November 2023 in New York. Most recently, he was seen at UFC 299 this past March in Miami.

With UFC 309 just days away, MMA fans are eagerly awaiting to see if Trump will indeed be part of the crowd, once again blending the worlds of politics and sports.

Do you think President-elect Trump’s potential appearance at UFC 309 will add to the event’s buzz? Are you excited to see more crossover between politics and sports, or do you think they should stay separate? Share your thoughts below!