On Saturday, former President Donald Trump made a public appearance at a well-attended sporting event, fresh off his arraignment.
What Happened: Trump was seen seated next to Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White at UFC 287, a recent photo shared on Twitter showed. UFC 287, a mixed martial arts event, was held on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The event marked the second time UFC held a pay-per-view event in Miami after UFC 42 was held there in April 2003. The key match of the event was a rematch between defending middleweight champion Alex Pereira and former champion — and eventual winner — Israel Adesanya.
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Trump came to cheer Jorge Masvidal against Gilbert Burns in an exciting welterweight match that took place right before Pereira and Adesanya.
The president’s attendance shouldn’t come as a surprise to many, since he shares a close relationship with White and is friendly with Masvidal, who has in the past expressed his appreciation for the former president. Trump’s presence, however, did not work for Masvidal, who was handed his fourth straight UFC loss in front of a home crowd. Masvidal also announced his retirement from the UFC following the debacle — but not before he showered Trump with effusive praise and led a not-so-subtle chant against President Joe Biden.
Why It’s Important: Trump’s presence at the event raised eyebrows, as he had been arraigned just a few days back at a Manhattan court on 34 felony charges related to the payment of hush money to adult movie star Stormy Daniels.
The ex-president previously announced in November his decision to contest the Republican presidential primary. Legal experts have been divided over the implication of the indictment for his presidential campaign.
Photo: Gage Skidmore via flickr
Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.