MAGA Heads Really Want Us to Care About the UFC Freedom 250: “We’re Witnessing the End of the Left in Realtime”
There’s no doubt that the Trump administration has a specific aesthetic, and that the recent UFC Freedom 250 fits in well with that vibe.
The name UFC Freedom 250 is a reference to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence, and the much hyped event took place last night on the South Lawn of the White House. Controversial UFC CEO and Trump supporter Dana White was in attendance alongside the president, and the event was broadcast around the world.
UFC Freedom 250 largely went off without a hitch, bar one prominent airing of a far-right conspiracy theory by MMA fighter Josh Hokit, which White later criticized for being “nasty and false.” Compared to some previous events organized by prominent Trump allies, like the infamous Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference, it could even be said that this was a well organized success.
However, the event likely did not do as well as some might have wanted it to. White claimed that UFC Freedom 250 could pull in an audience comparable to the Super Bowl, but even in the world of MAGA where the president’s 2019 inauguration is incorrectly argued to have been “bigger” than Barack Obama’s 2009 one, that is very wishful thinking. The cultural impact of the event is also being overplayed online by fans of Trump and UFC, with some commenters proclaiming that this is a new turning point for culture, rather than a cash grab and a further attempt by Trump to put his stamp on the White House.
Opponents of Trump argue the event continues the current administration’s complete disregard for norms and standards, and isn’t befitting of the office of the president. And while the fights were a boon for UFC’s profile, it appears that the organization will actually be losing money thanks to various costs associated withr running UFC Freedom 250, including the cost of redoing the South Lawn.
Like a lot of things in current day America, what you believe about UFC Freedom 250 really depends on what side of the politicalspectrum you find yourself on. But one thing is for sure: more people are watching the World Cup, even if Dana White thinks otherwise.
(featured image: G Edward Johnson)
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