Getty ImagesDonald Trump received a warm welcome as he celebrated his election victory at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in New York alongside Elon Musk and some of his cabinet picks.
Trump entered the arena to loud music and cheers from the UFC 309 crowd at Maddison Square Garden.
He spent most of the night sat between UFC President Dana White and Tesla CEO Musk.
Two of Trump’s key cabinet picks, Robert F Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard, plus Vivek Ramaswamy, who will lead Trump’s cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” with Musk, were also in the crowd.
Getty ImagesTrump enthusiastically greeted podcaster and UFC announcer Joe Rogan, who endorsed the president-elect after he appeared on his show before the election.
Trump waved to fans, who chanted “USA” as he walked to the octagon, before soaking in applause and dancing as the UFC played footage celebrating his election victory over Kamala Harris.
Getty ImagesJon Jones, who retained his heavyweight UFC title, then celebrated by heading over to greet Trump, handing the president-elect his title.
“I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” said Jones, receiving a huge roar of approval from the crowd.
Getty ImagesTrump has been a long-time supporter of the UFC, attending many of its live events over the years.
He usually receives a warm welcome from fans, though he received some boos at a UFC event in 2019, towards the end of his first term as president.
White has been one of Trump’s most high-profile backers.
The UFC president gave a speech at the Republican National Convention in July, saying: “I’m in the tough guy business and this man is the toughest, most resilient human being I have ever met in my entire life.”
