Donald Trump has watched UFC cards from cageside for years. Asked by Dana White to pick the two title fights on Saturday’s UFC 334 card at Madison Square Garden, the US president drew a line.
“I know them all, and I better not do that because I’ll get myself in trouble around here,” Trump said to White in a clip posted to social media and highlighted by Yahoo Sports.
Trump added that both matchups looked strong and that he would be watching, while praising White’s role in putting the event together.
A champions-only top of the card
The main event in New York is a heavyweight title fight: France’s Ciryl Gane defends his belt against the unbeaten American Josh Hokit. Gane became undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the title because of an eye injury, and the 14 November card is his first defence in that role.
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The co-main event is Kayla Harrison’s first defence of the bantamweight title, against Amanda Nunes. Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, took the belt from Julianna Peña at UFC 316 before Nunes stepped into the cage for a face-off. Nunes, a former two-division champion, came out of retirement for the fight.
From the White House to Madison Square Garden
Trump’s refusal to pick a winner landed days after he brought White to the briefing room at the White House on Monday. The appearance played on a weekend social media post in which the president had jokingly offered the UFC boss the role of press secretary.
“Thank you for the offer. I do not want to be in politics, no,” White told Trump from the podium, before taking questions from the press pool.
Trump has sat cageside at several UFC events during his time in office and has long been one of the sport’s most prominent fans. UFC Freedom 250 was held on the South Lawn of the White House in June, the first UFC card staged at the presidential residence.
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UFC 334 goes ahead on Saturday, 14 November at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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