Last weekend delivered two of the most talked-about fight events of 2024. The much-hyped, but unsurprisingly ultimately lackluster, showdown between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul took center stage on Friday night. Then, on Saturday, UFC legend Jon Jones made his long-awaited return to the octagon after 623 days, facing off against Stipe Miocic — widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight in MMA history.
Though it would be difficult for me to care less about Paul vs. Tyson, I did tune in, perhaps out of FOMO more than anything else. As for UFC 309 the following night, I was genuinely excited, mostly due to the prospect of watching a sequel to the iconic UFC 262 main event between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira. And though the idea of watching Jon Jones dismantle a retirement home version of Stipe Miocic was slightly depressing, I have to admit I was slightly intrigued by that fight as well.
However, as I loaded up a pitiful Netflix stream one night and a sketchy StreamEast link the next, my irritation with the relentless presence of a certain orange man steadily grew.
Although President-elect Donald Trump wasn’t actually ringside for the Paul vs. Tyson fight, it felt as though his mere existence loomed over the event, affecting the atmosphere throughout. And this instance of the brazen and rhetorically problematic white man being proclaimed the victor on millions of American TV sets was just the beginning of what would soon become a Trump-heavy weekend. Just moments later, Paul would deliver a post-fight speech claiming that “the truth is rising” in America, before concluding with the resounding claim, “It feels like we’re back, baby.”
Of course, these statements are questionable on their own, but it was the environment that made it even more unsettling. The white faces, the red hats — it was all just … weird.
Then, Saturday’s card came. As I unthinkingly opened Instagram, I was greeted with a post of Trump walking through the tunnel of Madison Square Garden, flanked by Dana White and followed by Elon Musk. From there, it was clear that the president-elect would be making an impression on the event.
I want to make it clear that I’ve never been part of the “shut up and dribble” crowd. Yet, the Trumpification of these events still strikes me as a troubling development. Even if we put the problem of overtly supporting a convicted felon with multiple sexual assault allegations aside, when fighters — and in the UFC’s case, the company itself — actively promote certain political figures, they are detracting from the integrity of the sport.
Moments like Bo Nickal rushing from the cage to demonstrate his golf swing for Trump or Jon Jones jumping up after defeating Miocic to mimic the president-elect’s signature dance, shift the focus of these incredible achievements onto someone else entirely. At that point, combat sports risk resembling gladiatorial spectacles staged for the ruling class rather than the remarkable displays of athletic skill they are meant to be.
In the end, fighters will continue to express their political beliefs however they see fit. Still, I hope they will ultimately realize that these fights — especially triumphant wins — are their moments to be celebrated and should be taken as such.
And finally, a shoutout to Charles Oliveira, who completely ignored the president-elect after his win, opting instead for a triumphant victory lap around the octagon — like the legend he truly is.
