US President-Elect Donald Trump Attends UFC Fight Between Stipe Miocic-Jon Jones in New York

Palm Beach: President-elect Donald Trump is attending UFC heavyweight championship clash at Mison Square Garden on Saturday night, combining two things close to his heart -- fierce battles inside octagon and New York City.

After a year's delay, Stipe Miocic is getting his shot at a third heavyweight championship reign when he battles current champion Jon Jones at UFC 309.

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

trip to New York, where Trump lived for deces before moving to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, came after president-elect announced his choice for energy secretary in his upcoming ministration.

And it also followed a key ally, billionaire Elon Musk, calling for more direct public input into decision-making process for anor top post Trump is still mulling, he of his new ministration's Treasury Department.

Trump said that Chris Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, was his selection to he Energy Department. Wright is a vocal vocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump's quest to achieve US "energy dominance" in global market.

Musk, meanwhile, mused about president-elect's yet-to-be-me treasury secretary choice -- and invited people to use his social platform to weigh in.

"Would be interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for @realDonaldTrump to consider feedback," Musk, who Trump has alrey tapped to co-le a commission tasked with increasing government spending efficiency, posted on Saturday on X social media platform he owns.

Musk used rest of his post to become first participant in public poll he was proposing. He endorsed Howard Lutnick, CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of Trump's transition team, ahe of Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025, over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent.

Musk said in his post that "Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change".

"Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change," he said.

Both Lutnick and Bessent have been mentioned as possible picks to le Treasury Department. Bessent is considered more conventional, business-friendly choice. He is sceptical about cryptocurrency, while Lutnick has suggested it could be used for people to pay ir taxes.

Trump's pick to le his Health and Human Services Department, Robert F Kennedy Jr, also endorsed Lutnick, posting on his own X account, "Bitcoin is currency of freedom, a hedge against inflation for middle class Americans." "Bitcoin will have no stronger vocate than Howard Lutnik," he wrote, misspelling Lutnick's last name.

Trump has alrey announced many picks for new ministration in recent days, including his choice for Secretary of State, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and attorney general, former Florida Rep Matt Gaetz. Treasury is most important slot he has left to fill but president-elect also has yet to announce choices for or roles, including hes of Education and Labor Departments.

Separately, Trump said that he'd picked a member of his legal team and former federal prosecutor, Will Scharf, as assistant to president and White House staff secretary. Also on Saturday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson was at Mar-a-Lago to meet with president-elect before Trump flew to New York for UFC showdown.

Except for a day trip to Washington this week to meet for nearly two hours with President Joe Biden, and separately dress House Republicans, Trump has been spending his time since his Election Day victory at Mar-a-Lago. club has hosted galas and conservative events throughout week.

In dition to being a fan of sport, president-elect has been close to Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White for more than two deces.

White hosted a 2001 UFC battle at Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Trump has frequently attended UFC matches since -- including during his 2024 campaign. Trump has turned up at fights recently with famous entourages, including White, musician Kid Rock and former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson.

In 2018, during Trump's first term, he and White starred in a UFC video where n-president was called "Combatant In Chief".

As Trump has strengned his grip on national Republican Party over last near-dece, White's personal political profile has grown exponentially. White spoke at 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions, and when party gared in Milwaukee this past July. He also dressed crowd at Trump's Florida victory party in wee hours of morning after Election Day.

"This is what happens when machine comes after you," White said n. "What you've seen over last several years, this is what it looks like -- couldn't stop him. He keeps going forward. He doesn't quit." 

(Except for heline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)