Former United States President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance at UFC 302 on Saturday night, shortly after facing conviction on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records concerning adult entertainer Stormy Daniels. His arrival stirred a mix of reactions from the energetic MMA crowd, with some fans offering a standing ovation while others expressed a combination of cheers and boos.

Trump informed his supporters of his plans to attend the event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, via Truth Social, the social media platform he established after being banned from Twitter. He expressed his intention to witness lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defend his title against the No. 4 challenger Dustin Poirier.

“Going to UFC tonight,” Trump announced on the platform. The post garnered 13,000 likes and over 2,000 reposts and shares in a short span of time, with many users expressing their support for Trump.