President Donald Trump drew all the attention last Saturday at the UFC 327 event, held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, where his presence elicited mixed reactions from the audience and featured one of the most talked-about moments of the evening.
Trump entered the venue shortly after 9:00 PM local time, accompanied by Dana White, the CEO of UFC, and several family members.
He arrived from Miami International Airport on Air Force One, with strict security measures from the Secret Service.
Upon his arrival, the president greeted Secretary of State Marco Rubio and commentator Joe Rogan, before taking his seat in the front row, where he applauded the fighters between rounds and personally approached several fans to greet them.
His appearance provoked divided reactions: applause and cheers from his supporters, but also expressions of rejection from other attendees, during a moment of heightened geopolitical tension, as Trump enjoyed the matches in Miami, while Vice President JD Vance reported from Pakistan about the failure of the peace negotiations with Iran after 21 hours of discussions in Islamabad without reaching an agreement.
The highlight of the evening was the interaction with the Brazilian fighter Paulo Costa, who, after knocking out Azamat Murzakanov in the third round, jumped out of the cage to shake the president's hand.
Costa said directly: "Thank you for doing what you're doing, I needed to tell you this".
Trump responded with humor: "You're too handsome to be a fighter, and what a fighter you are."
The leader invited Costa to the White House and posted on his Truth Social profile: "Congratulations to Paulo Costa on a great UFC fight last night in Miami. He will definitely be a future champion. It was great to talk with him outside the ring after his big victory!"
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