Donald Trump leaves UFC champion Kayla Harrison in shock with intimate gesture after president watched on
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President Donald Trump treated UFC star Kayla Harrison to a rare kiss on the cheek after she leapt out of the cage to celebrate with him on Saturday night.
Harrison tapped out Julianna Pena at UFC 316 to win her first world title with the promotion, and the Commander in Chief and his daughter Ivanka Trump were both sitting cage-side for the bout.
After exiting the Octagon to head back to the locker rooms, Harrison made a bee-line for the president – and got more than just a customary handshake from Trump.
In an unusually intimate gesture, the 34-year-old was pulled in for a hug and then received a kiss on her right cheek, with Trump seemingly delighted to see her pull off the victory in New Jersey.
The pair then posed for a photo, with the 78-year-old Trump again wrapping his arms around Harrison, while putting his left hand on her exposed stomach.
Post-kiss and before she departed the arena, Harrison put her new belt over Trump’s shoulder while the duo pointed at each other to get cheers from the crowd.
President Donald Trump left UFC star Kayla Harrison in shock by kissing her on the cheek
Trump was unusually intimate with the female UFC star after she jumped out of the octagon
Harrison posed for a photo with the president, his daughter Ivanka (L) and his son Eric (R)
Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the USA, having triumphed in judo back in 2012 and 2016.
She then turned her hand to mixed martial arts, where she has since competed 20 times, winning a remarkable 19 of her fights. She made her UFC debut in April 2024, and is unbeaten.
When entering the arena on Saturday night, meanwhile, Trump took a moment to shake hands with podcasters and former Tennessee Titans teammates Will Compton and Taylor Lewan before taking his seat just feet from the action.
Trump’s son Eric and son-in-law Jared Kushner were also on hand, as was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. At one point the elder Trump and Rubio were seen sharing a fist bump while grinning into a nearby camera.
As always, UFC fans and fighters were excited to see Trump, who was showered with applause and later got a high five from Kevin Holland after his submission victory against fellow welterweight Vicente Luque.
Ivanka stunned in a long white dress as she joined her father for a night of UFC action
Harrison draped her belt over Trump’s shoulder after beating Julianna Pena to win the title
Trump last attended a UFC event in April in Miami alongside billionaire Elon Musk, but the President’s relationship with his biggest donor has changed considerably since then.
On Saturday, Trump warned that Musk would face ‘very serious consequences’ if he was to start bankrolling Democratic candidates.
Their relationship disintegrated earlier this week as the former allies battled it out on social media after disagreeing on Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’
The title fight in Newark was only Harrison’s third fight with the promotion, as the two-time Olympic gold medalist quickly climbed the rankings.
