UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal praises Donald Trump as former president watches from ringside

Trump was sat in the front row at UFC 287, where Masvidal announced his retirement from MMA after losing to Gilbert Burns

UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal praised Donald Trump as the former US president watched on from ringside on Saturday.

Trump, 76, was sat in the front row at the Miami-Dade Arena, where Masvidal retired from mixed martial arts with a loss to Gilbert Burns.

Hometown fighter Masvidal, 38, lost a unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 287, before using his post-fight interview in the ring to announce his retirement. And the American, a vocal Trump supporter, also used his speech to praise the former president.

“Greatest president in the history of the world, I love that guy,” said Masvidal, pointing at Trump, who was sat in the front row with Mike Tyson and UFC president Dana White.

Earlier this week, Masvidal attended a Trump rally before visiting the businessman-turned-politician at his house in Mar-a-Lago.

The crowd in the Miami-Dade Arena erupted when Trump arrived in the building, and UFC fighter Kevin Holland appeared to speak to the 76-year-old through the cage during his fight with Santiago Ponzinibbio, before going over to Trump after the bout.

On Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records around hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign.

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