Madison Square Garden, New York, was the hub of excitement when UFC 309 became a night to remember on November 16, 2024, topped by the sweeping gesture of Jon Jones for President-elect Donald Trump. More than just a night of celebration for Jones’s victory, the event turned into a cultural moment-a blend of sports, politics, and entertainment.
The main event saw heavyweight titans clash as Jon “Bones” Jones faced off against the challenge of Stipe Miocic. Considered by many to be one of the greats within the UFC, the former champion dominated in the end, winning via third-round TKO. Setting up a perfectly executed spinning back kick into the ribs of Miocic sealed the win and took Jones’ record to an incredible 28-1 with one no contest.
In that case, for Miocic, it was perhaps the end of an illustrious career because the defeat meant the likely retirement of the 42-year-old, who intimated hanging up his gloves in his post-fight interview and caused the end of a journey in the octagon that must have hall-of-famed him.
It wasn’t just a matter of Jones winning such a fight, but the whole spectacle of it. Just a few minutes after his victory, he celebrated Donald Trump by impersonating the president-elect’s signature dances. The crowd was electrified as pro-Trump spectators joined the cheer while Jones pointed at Trump, who responded with a smile toward him and a thumbs-up.
In the post-fight interview, an emotional Jones thanked Trump for coming and called himself the “Christian American champion.” He then led the crowd in a rousing “USA! USA!” chant to drive the patriotism home.
The moment of the evening, however, was when Jones strode over to Trump’s ringside seat and handed the president his UFC heavyweight title belt. Trump-who was joined in his entourage by Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kid Rock, and others-really seemed moved by the gesture.
Trump then invited Jones to visit the White House after his inauguration and called the gesture “a symbol of strength and unity.” The moment underlined the places where sports and politics intersect andÚ played on the shared emotions of the audience.
This was Trump’s first major public outing since the election victory over the vice president, Kamala Harris, on November 5. The crowd mobbed Madison Square Garden as he entered the venue with a standing ovation of “USA! USA!” A video montage commemorated Donald Trump’s entrance inside, and palpably, the energy in the house rose as fans got to their feet in appreciation of the moment.
Trump made his way around, mingling with fighters and fans alike throughout the night, getting warm receptions from fighters like Michael Chandler, himself identifying as a supporter of Trump:.
That Jon Jones gave his championship belt to Trump is above sports, a unifying action, a sense of patriotism. The moment spurred a wide media coverage and social network traffic reflecting the rising junctions of sport, politics, and celebrity culture.
