Former President Donald Trump was met with huge cheers in Miami on Saturday night as he took a front row seat at UFC 287 alongside the organization’s president, Dana White.
The recently indicted presidential candidate was seen in a prized ringside seat at the Kaseya Center on Saturday night.
He joined other celebrities, including Kid Rock and Mike Tyson, to watch not only the main event between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, but also the fight between MAGA supporter Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns.
Trump and White have developed a close relationship with the UFC chief over the years, even supporting the former Apprentice host at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The former president also has a friend Masvidal, who retired Saturday night after his third in a recent string of losses.
Notably absent from the fight was Melania Trump, 52, who has not been seen since March 30, the night the former president was impeached.
Donald Trump poses with Dana White, Kid Rock and Mike Tyson during Saturday night’s UFC fight in Miami
This is the last time Melania was seen in public, on Thursday, March 30 – the night Trump was announced to be sued by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
Don Trump Jr. was also present at the fight night and was spotted talking to his father at several points.
Previous reports indicate Melania will stand by her husband despite lingering anger at her husband for the hush money he allegedly paid porn star Stormy Daniels to stop a one-night stand she claims she had, which Trump denies .
However, Melania was not by his side when he surrendered to authorities last Tuesday, nor during the speech he gave from Mar-a-Lago later that evening.
Back in the octagon, after knocking out Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kevin Holland walked over to talk to Trump. Holland also appeared to exchange words with the 76-year-old through the cage between rounds.
On Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying corporate records surrounding silent payments, primarily to porn star Stormy Daniels, during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The former First Lady has now faced a year and a half of having her dirty laundry aired in public, repeatedly reminding the world of her husband’s infidelity as the New York criminal case continues.
Nevertheless, Melania’s no-show was in stark contrast to last week, when a photo surfaced of the pair with friends at Trump’s Palm Beach resort despite recent news of his indictment and impending arrest.
Memorably, in January 2018, days after Trump’s alleged affair with Stormy Daniels was publicized by The Wall Street Journal, the First Lady canceled plans to accompany her husband to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She blamed “planning and logistical problems.”
donald trump jr. is Saturday night talking to his father during the fight
Trump was also spotted ringside with Mike Tyson
Kid Rock whispers something in Donald Trump’s ear
The recently indicted former president looked happy and relaxed during the rowdy event
The audience gave the current presidential candidate a huge round of applause at the beginning of the evening
Former President Donald Trump at the UFC fight in Miami on Saturday night
Last Wednesday night, in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, three of Trump’s five children — Don Jr, Eric, and Tiffany — sat in the front row with their significant others: Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, and Michael Boulos.
But Melania Trump, his wife of 18 years, and Ivanka Trump, his oldest and some say favorite child, were conspicuously absent.
Ivanka has said she is done with politics and wants to focus on raising her son and daughter with husband Jared Kushner, who was recently treated for thyroid cancer.
Trump’s youngest son Barron was also missing, but the 17-year-old, who is still in high school, rarely appears in public with the rest of the family.
Oddly enough, Viktor Knavs, Melania’s father, sat between the former president’s two sons in the front row, a position of prominence that placed him right in the eye of the cameras.
Melania and Donald were married in that ballroom in 2005. But when the former president stepped out from behind the curtains to address his devoted faithful, he was surrounded by guards and aides, not his tall, glamorous wife.
It is not clear why she was not there. She is reportedly hurt and angry about allegations that Trump had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, but would be willing to support him.
Still, she won’t leave him. This is a transactional marriage, she knew what she was getting into when she married Donald. Her means of survival is just to pretend it never happened,” a former aide said of Melania’s position
The former first lady’s ex-assistant claimed that Melania is indeed furious about Stormy Daniels’ sex claims resurfacing
It was in stark contrast to last week when, hours after the indictment was announced, Melania, dressed in a bright red dress, stood by her husband’s side in a public show of strength. The pair dined with friends at their usual high-visibility table at Mar-a-Lago.
But Melania was omitted from her husband’s speech on Tuesday, in which he sang the praises of his other relatives for their support. He mentioned Ivanka and Barron, his son with Melania, but not his wife of 18 years.
She was present in November when Trump announced he was seeking a second term in the White House. She was never a fan of the campaign trail and is not expected to be a happy voter.
Before the charges were announced last week, a source told PEOPLE that Melania, 52, is “living her own life” and “still feels happy” at Mar-a-Lago, but remains “angry and doesn’t want to hear” about the alleged $130,000 in hush money to Daniels.