UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal led a crowd in a “Let’s go Brandon” chant after losing his final professional fight in Miami Saturday night — as he lavished praise on former
President Trump and
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Masvidal, dubbed “The King of Miami,” lost by decision to Gilbert Burns after three rounds at UFC 287. After the fight the 38-year-old, joined by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the ring, announced he will be retiring from MMA after a 20-year career. After the announcement, Masvidal took the mic to give a shoutout to Trump, 76 — who was at the event ringside following his arrest in Manhattan earlier this week. A photo circulating on
Social Media showed a motley crew of Trump, UFC President Dana White,
boxing legend Mike Tyson and Kid Rock all sitting together in the arena. “I wanted to say, greatest president in the history of the world sitting right there,” he said, pointing at the ex-president, as the Florida crowd erupted in cheers. “I love that guy,” he added. The Miami native then turned his flattery to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — who has emerged as Trump’s most formidable foe so far as he seeks the 2024
Republican nomination in his re-election bid for the
White House. “We also got the greatest governor of all time here in Florida,” he said. “Let’s keep Florida free, a red state…” The fighter then asked the crowd to join him in chanting the anti-President Biden slogan. “And let’s take back — you know who, Let’s go Brandon motherf—er … replace him,” he shouted to the crowd of Biden, 80. He then beckoned the crowd to continue chanting “Let’s go Brandon” — to which they happily obliged. “Let’s go Brandon” dates back to 2021, when an
NBC reporter interviewing NASCAR driver Brandon Brown mistook a vulgar chant from the crowd — “F–k Joe Biden” — as “Let’s Go Brandon,” turning the phrase into a conservative viral sensation. Masvidal holds the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history at just five seconds into a fight.