Video of Donald Trump’s Raucous Reception at UFC Event Goes Viral

A video of Donald Trump’s raucous reception at Saturday night’s UFC fight in Madison Square Garden in New York City has gone viral on social media.

Heavyweight Jon Jones shook hands with the president-elect and handed him his UFC title belt while the crowd chanted, “USA!”

Jones, the reigning heavyweight champion, had just defeated challenger Stipe Miocic before celebrating with Trump’s signature dance.

Twitter, early Sunday morning by Margo Martin, the Trump campaign’s deputy communications director. She captioned the video “Jon Jones hands his UFC heavyweight championship belt to president @realDonaldTrump.”

It shows a grinning Jones walk to the edge of the octagon, pass his belt to the President-elect, and then cheers and pumps his arms in excitement. Trump grins back, holds the belt, and shakes Jones’ hand. Jones crouches down, bows, and smiles. He says, “I’m so glad that I impressed you, Donald.

Later on Sunday morning the video had been viewed 2.5 million times.

Newsweek has contacted Trump’s office via email for comment.

Trump had watched the fight with members of his future administration: tech billionaire Elon Musk and former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Musk has been named to head Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to cut the annual federal budget by $2 trillion. Kennedy has been nominated as Trump’s health secretary.

Trump had entered the New York City arena hours earlier to applause from over 20,000 fans

In his victory speech, Jones said “I want to say a big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” while the crowd cheered and chanted, “USA!”

Jones, 37, has been fighting in the UFC since 2008. He has been involved in 16 title matches in his career and has the most wins in title fights with 15. Miocic, a 42-year-old former heavyweight champion, announced his retirement after losing the fight. It was his first fight since March 2021.

“I’m done,” Miocic said. “I’m hanging ’em up. I’m retiring. Thank God.”

UFC president Dana White posted a picture to Instagram of himself with Trump, Musk, and Trump-supporting musician Kid Rock, captioned “the boys.”

Earlier this month, White shared the stage with Trump on election night, after the Republican won the White House. Speaking at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago residence, White called Trump “the most resilient, hardworking man I’ve ever met in my life.”

New Jersey was one of the first states that embraced UFC and White has repeatedly said that the company was able to grow because of early fights at the Trump Taj Mahal, as it was then called, in Atlantic City.