Donald Trump made an appearance at UFC 316 on Saturday night, notably without Elon Musk present this time.
The former President was seated cageside to watch the main event bout between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O`Malley.
Trump arrived at the Prudential Center arena in Newark, New Jersey, accompanied by UFC president Dana White. He was met with enthusiastic cheers from the capacity crowd.
Taking a seat near boxing icon Mike Tyson, Trump greeted former NFL stars Will Compton and Taylor Lewan as he settled in for the main card.
His family members, including son Eric, daughter Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner, were also in attendance, alongside US Senator Marco Rubio.
Trump had arrived in New Jersey on Friday, staying at his golf course in Bedminster.
During the event, Kevin Holland gave Trump a high five following his submission victory over Vicente Luque. After the main event concluded, Trump also shared words of encouragement with the victorious Georgian fighter, Dvalishvili.
Trump`s presence at UFC 316 came amidst a recent public disagreement with former associate Elon Musk. The relationship between the two billionaires had reportedly deteriorated earlier in the week.
They had engaged in a public spat online, stemming from differences over Trump`s proposed `Big Beautiful Bill.` Trump claimed during this exchange that Elon had “gone crazy.”
Despite the recent friction, Musk, with an estimated net worth of $330 billion, had previously been a significant financial contributor to Trump`s presidential campaign, reportedly donating $250 million last year.
Musk had also accompanied Trump to a previous UFC event, UFC 314 in Miami, Florida, held in April, where Trump also received a warm reception upon entering the arena.
However, Trump indicated before Saturday`s fights that he considered his working relationship with Musk irreparable. He was quoted stating, “I`m too busy doing other things. I won an election in a landslide. I gave [Musk] a lot of breaks, long before this happened. I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him.”
Understanding the Trump-Musk Relationship History
The dynamic between former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been complex, marked by periods of conflict and apparent reconciliation.
In 2022, the two publicly feuded on Twitter (now X). During a rally, Trump referred to Musk as a “liar and bulls**t artist,” casting doubt on his intent to buy Twitter and claiming Musk had lied about voting for him. Musk responded by suggesting it was “time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.”
Musk, who stated he had mostly voted Democrat since becoming a US citizen, initially expressed support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 Republican nomination, citing disappointment with the Biden administration.
However, their relationship seemed to improve following a meeting at Mar-a-Lago in March. Trump, previously skeptical of electric vehicles, later shifted his stance, saying he supported them because “Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.”
Following the assassination attempt on Trump in July, Musk publicly endorsed the former president, expressing hopes for his recovery.
More recently, Trump spoke positively about Musk, stating he respected him and that Musk, like himself, believed the country was “in big trouble.” Musk has also been seen at events with Trump and was reportedly chosen to lead a taskforce on government efficiency.
This history of public disagreements and private reconciliations provides context for the latest apparent falling out that preceded Trump`s solo appearance at UFC 316.
In the main event itself, Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O`Malley in a memorable performance. Dvalishvili, the reigning bantamweight champion, secured his first submission victory in the UFC by applying a decisive choke-out in the third round.
After his win, Dvalishvili`s enthusiastic celebration included jumping out of the Octagon to shake hands and speak with Donald Trump cageside.
Trump also took time to speak with a disappointed Sean O`Malley after the fight, who was able to leave the cage under his own power.
Commenting on his victory, Dvalishvili told reporters, “He was well trained, he was well prepared, and I knew that he was going to make changes… Every time I lost I made big changes and I learned from it. But I’m getting better and better. I wasn’t showing this technique [before] and I have more tools in my pocket I’m still working on, and then little by little I will show. Now it’s my time.”
Other winners on the main card included Kayla Harrison, Joe Pyfer, Kevin Holland, and Mario Bautista.
Event Images
Percy Harlow