The UFC CEO Dana White is a big Trump supporter.
I work in an industry with tough guys and this is the toughest, most resilient guy I've met in my life, said White in a tribute speech to Trump at the Republican Party convention in July, White's third year after speaking in 2016 and 2020.
UFC, Ultimate Fighting Championship, now always welcomes Donald Trump as a fighter with "walk out" music (Kid Rock's "American Badass") and standing ovations.
One of the things that makes a UFC event so powerful is that it almost resembles a campaign rally, says Jeffrey Montez de Oca, professor of sociology and founder of the Center for Critical Sports Studies at the University of Colorado Springs.
According to Montez de Oca, UFC helps Trump appeal to young working-class men who have been raised not to show weakness.
Shift from nationalism to masculinity
Trump has used sports as a platform for his politics since his first term, when he visited NFL matches.
Then it was more about nationalism to tie in with a stereotypical racial politics in the South. What's different with UFC now is that it seems to be more about masculinity, says Kyle Kusz, professor at the University of Rhode Island who studies the connection between the sports world and the far-right's culture war.
Young men are prepared for the idea that fighting should be a central part of being an American man. The idea that there is a battle to be fought for the nation's survival against internal enemies, such as undocumented immigrants or trans people, is explicitly Trump's rhetoric.
Professional fighters like Colby Covington and Sean Strickland (known for aggressive anti-LGBTQ rhetoric) openly praise Trump. Other UFC profiles have spread disinformation.
Saved with the help of a casino
In the early 2000s, UFC was on the verge of going under. It had been called "human cockfighting" by Senator John McCain and MMA was considered too violent for most sports arenas.
But in 2001, businessman Donald Trump helped the sport survive and allowed UFC to use the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It helped UFC to survive.
Now, UFC is the largest MMA organization in the world with a value of around 122 billion kronor and has virtually monopolized the sport.
Jeffrey Montez de Oca believes that Trump's relationship with UFC can be effective in the election campaign, just like Taylor Swift's stated support for Kamala Harris.
Does an entrance to a UFC match make someone decide to vote for him? Probably not. But it can create a strong emotional connection, not just to him as a person, but to an entire identity and lifestyle.
