Donald Trump celebrated his election victory with a surprise appearance at UFC 309 on Saturday. The president-elect, flanked by UFC chief Dana White, arrived at Madison Square Garden to thunderous applause and cheers from the packed-out crowd.

Two of Trump's key cabinet picks, Robert F Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard, plus Vivek Ramaswamy, who will lead Trump's cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” with Musk, were also in the crowd.

Trump is a longtime UFC enthusiast and frequent attendee of major fights. He made promoting hypermasculine tones a signature of his latest, successful campaign for the White House — as he looked to further widen the gap among male voters between himself and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.