Donald Trump was on the receiving end of massive cheers at a UFC event held in Florida, while one fighter led the crowd in ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ chants during a post-fight interview.
UFC 287 was held in Miami, Florida on Saturday, just a little over a week after the Republican frontrunner for President was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury.
Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, low-level felonies in New York State but which carry a potential for a 4-year prison sentence each.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Trump, despite the chaos, made a surprise appearance at the UFC event, sitting in the front row with rock legend Kid Rock, boxing legend Mike Tyson, and Dana White, the president of UFC.
The crowd gave him an enthusiastic ovation and broke out in chants of “USA! USA! USA!”
BREAKING: UFC crowd breaks out in USA! USA! USA! chant as Trump rises and waves at the area pic.twitter.com/UDB59bgZ7w
— Jack Poso ?? (@JackPosobiec) April 9, 2023
RELATED: Adam Kinzinger Picks A Fight With UFC Fighter, Gets Slapped By Tucker Carlson As ‘Mr. Tough Guy’
Trump Cheered Wildly at UFC Event
Aside from the crowd reaction, former President Donald Trump received a show of support from UFC star Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal lost his welterweight fight against Gilbert Burns. After the match, the 38-year-old Masvidal announced his retirement in an interview with Joe Rogan.
He promptly heaped praise on the GOP nominee sitting at ringside.
“I wanted to say, greatest president in the history of the world sitting right there,” Masvidal said. “I love that guy.”
He then proceeded to lead the crowd in a “Let’s go, Brandon!” chant.
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
“Let’s go Brandon” is a euphemism for the more vulgar phrase – “F*** Joe Biden.”
The inside joke is the result of an incident two years ago when NBC Sports reporter Kelli Stavast was interviewing NASCAR driver Brandon Brown, who was interrupted with a very clear and vociferous chant of “F*** Joe Biden.”
Stavast tried to tell viewers the crowd was chanting a much more palatable but very incorrect, ‘Let’s go, Brandon.’
How it Started…Talladega Superspeedway: Brandon Brown had just won a NASCAR race. And sportscaster Kelli Stavast commented in an interview with Brown afterward how the crowd seemed to be chanting in his honor: ‘Let’s go, Brandon!” https://t.co/BlRcn7O4f1 pic.twitter.com/7GeRL1SiO2
— Zen Diamond Apartments Newslink (@apartments_zen) November 3, 2021
Masvidal Also Praises DeSantis
UFC star Jorge Masvidal also offered praise for Florida governor Ron DeSantis, a man typically found in second place in polling for the Republican nominee for president, despite not having announced his own campaign as of yet.
“We also got the greatest governor of all time here in Florida. Let’s keep Florida free, a red state,” he said. “And let’s take back – you know who, Let’s go, Brandon motherf***er … replace him.”
Wow. Jorge Masvidal retires and leads a chant of “Let’s go Brandon!” pic.twitter.com/ftpeJ8IhTJ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 9, 2023
UFC fighter Kevin Holland also approached the former President and spoke with him following his victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio in the Welterweight division.
After Kevin Holland wins, he jumps right over the cage to greet and thank President Trump???? pic.twitter.com/CBjmMbcdCK
— Beard Vet (@Beard_Vet) April 9, 2023
UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell last March caught the attention of Fox News host Tucker Carlson following an interview in which Mitchell voiced opposition against U.S. involvement in Ukraine.
His comments drew the ire of CNN contributor Adam Kinzinger, who mustered up every ounce of anger he could into his little frame and suggested the Greatest Generation would like to slap the “kid.”
Oh my Lord. This is America. By the way “I’ll fight when the war comes to Arkansas…” WHAT??
The WW2 generation would love to slap him I’m sure.
Way to go @TuckerCarlson . This is a new way to support Putin without being so obvious https://t.co/wfhcnH3ZcT
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) March 9, 2022
What makes this interesting is it marks an incident in which Carlson readily offered Kinzinger an opportunity to respond to the UFC fighter through an interview on his show.
For all his bravado on Twitter these days, Kinzinger was actually offered an opportunity to take on Tucker Carlson as opposed to being reduced to a glorified Twitter troll.
Kinzinger, of course, declined, stating that Carlson is too “hostile” and “interrupts and laughs” at his guests.
You sound like you’re gonna cry… you gonna cry?
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 15, 2022
Yea well, when you deserve to be laughed at the way Kinzinger does, it’s rather warranted.
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