The President was met by jeers - and a few cheers - at UFC 244. But he has enjoyed a cosy relationship with the promotion down the years

On Saturday night, Donald Trump decided to make an appearance at UFC 244 in New York City. It was his second appearance in less than a week at a sporting event, and it was the second time he was booed.

Last Sunday, he watched Game 5 of the World Series at Nationals Park in Washington DC and was greeted with a barrage of boos and chants of “Lock him up”. On Saturday, there were boos again but his son Donald Jr, who was also at the event, later tweeted that the crowd reaction was “overwhelmingly positive” and that UFC president Dana White claimed it was the “most electrifying entrance” he had seen. While Donald Jr’s comments appear to be an exercise in damage control, there were some cheers for the President at Madison Square Garden.

The negative reaction at the World Series was not surprising in a Democratic stronghold like Washington. Much the same could be said for UFC 244, which took place in the diverse and predominantly Democratic New York City. However, New York is not an accurate reflection of UFC’s fanbase. Though the UFC signs athletes from around the world, which is reflected in their diverse champions, the product remains tailor-made for an American audience — an audience of UFC fans that is also getting older and now has a median age of 49.

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Despite the relative lack of diversity in the UFC fanbase, there are no official studies into the political leanings of the promotion’s audience. However, there have been significant examples of mixed martial arts being co-opted by far right groups. Violent white nationalists such as the Rise Above Movement in the United States, Pride France in France, Kampf der Nibelungen in Germany, and White Rex in Russia use MMA as a recruitment tool for disenfranchised youth, as well as a training methodology in preparation for street fights and riots. While this does not reflect the vast majority of MMA and UFC fans, it highlights the sport’s attraction amongst white nationalists and far-right extremists, many of whom are in favour of Trump.

Regardless of the fanbase, the UFC leadership is overwhelmingly in favour of the current President and his policies. In the lead-up to the 2016 elections, individuals connected to the UFC leadership at the time donated over $1m to Republican congressmen and senators, as well as Republican committees and Super PACs. Some of the money (approximately $500,000) was contributed by Zuffa LLC, the then parent company of the UFC.

When the UFC was purchased by Endeavor (formerly WME-IMG) for $4.2bn, its ties to Trump only increased. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel was Trump’s agent when he starred in The Apprentice. Emanuel later purchased the Miss Universe Pageant from Trump in 2015. As for their personal relationship, Trump told the Hollywood Reporter in 2016 that Emanuel was a “very good friend of mine.”

UFC president Dana White also has a longstanding relationship with Trump. Prior to the presidential elections in 2016, White delivered a blustering speech in favour of Trump at the Republican National Convention. White praised Trump’s business acumen and rehashed the tale of the candidate’s support for the UFC during the promotion’s dark age in 2001. “Trump is a fighter and I know he will fight for this country,” White told the crowd.

White has also been known to defend some of Trump’s policies, including those that are racially charged. When asked about the President’s push to build a wall along the southern border of the United States, White told UFC Unfiltered that “what [Trump is] really saying is all these people coming from different countries need to do it the old school way. You register and you get your paperwork done. He is talking about people that are sneaking into the country.”

White has also shown support for Trump’s sports-related concerns. Following Trump’s onslaught against former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for his decision to kneel in protest during the national anthem, White told Fox Business that the controversy was a “big deal” to him and that he believes in “standing for the national anthem.”

Though the UFC does not play the national anthem ahead of its events, it has found other ways to use its platform for political purposes. In 2018, White visited the White House with then interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, a fighter who markets himself as a conservative mouthpiece, and posed for pictures with the Trump. Later that same year, the UFC released a documentary titled Combatant in Chief that looked at the promotion’s peculiar relationship with the President. The documentary, which made the dubious claim that Trump played a “pivotal role in legitimizing the UFC,” was a clear example of promotional propaganda and a case study in political sportswashing.

While many of those in attendance at UFC 244 on Saturday were vocal about their distaste for the President, it does not change the fact that the UFC is an ideal platform for Trump and his political ideology. The UFC has proven its willingness to be used as a tool for the White House’s displays of sports-related soft power. As long as Trump has supporters within the UFC – a sports organization without a union or association that collectively bargains and represents its athletes – the President will continue to benefit from his relationship with cagefighting.