Donald Trump to set aside politics, take in UFC card

By Jonathan Lemire The Associated Press

5 years ago

In this Aug. 25, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump smiles during a news conference at th ... — In this Aug. 25, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump smiles during a news conference at the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France. Trump is expected to watch the UFC 244 fight between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

In this Sept. 19, 2019, file photo, Jorge Masvidal, left, squares off with Nate Diaz as UFC President Dana White looks on at a news conference for the UFC 244 mixed martial arts event in New York. Diaz or Masvidal will step out of the Garden on Saturday, Nov. 2, the undisputed champ of UFC 244’s crudest named title _ the Baddest Mother (censored!) in the game. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)

In this July 10, 2018, file photo, actor Dwayne Johnson attends the “Skyscraper” premiere in New York. Johnson will present the championship belt to the winner of the Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal UFC fight at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

WASHINGTON — Politics can be a bruising business. But President Donald Trump plans to get a firsthand look at a different kind of blood sport on Saturday night.

Trump is set to return to his hometown of New York City to attend a high-profile UFC match at Madison Square Garden.

Trump has long been tight with Dana White, the UFC president. The pay-per-view spectacle is expected to draw several celebrities, including wrestler-turned-actor The Rock.

It’ll be Trump’s second sporting event in a week, and it’s an open question how he’ll be received.

The president was loudly booed days while attending a World Series game in Washington last Sunday.

Trump’s departure from New York on Sunday is expected to further snarl traffic during the city’s annual marathon.