Joe Rogan, the famed UFC commentator, shared his awe-inspiring experience of seeing former President Donald Trump, Kid Rock, and Tucker Carlson’s entrance last weekend at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden.
Rogan, described the moment as nothing short of cinematic, likening the trio to the “right-wing Avengers.”
“When he [Trump] walked out of Madison Square Garden, it was f*cking bananas,” Rogan explained. “The whole place was cheering. He walks out to Kid Rock’s ‘American Bad*ss’ with Kid Rock — Tucker Carlson walking in like the right-wing Avengers, and the place went nuts!”
After the former president exchanged high-fives and handshakes with dozens of supporters en-route to his seat, he was again featured on the scoreboard when the broadcast was showing celebrities in attendance.
Trump once again received a loud ovation from the New York City crowd despite the ongoing fraud trial brought by state Attorney General Leticia James.
In 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a UFC event when he turned up for a highly anticipated bout between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, which was also held at Madison Square Garden. He has also shown up for a number of additional UFC events since leaving the White House.
Prior to Saturday night’s appearance, he last turned up for UFC 290 this past July. Dana White has long credited Trump for playing a crucial role in the UFC’s early days.
Mixed martial arts faced an uphill battle when promoters were attempting to get established in the United States due to perceptions of the sport. In 2001, the promotion was acquired by Zuffa LLC from Semaphore Entertainment Group, who were on the brink of bankruptcy.
The promotion struggled to find a venue for its massive UFC 30 card until Trump offered to host the fights at his Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Trump — who also hosted a number of high-profile boxing fights in the 90’s and 2000’s — went on to host a number of additional events as the sport gained more mainstream recognition.