Newcastle United’s pursuit for a new right-winger took a bizarre turn at Madison Square Garden last night.
With the squad not on international duty on a warm-weather trip to Saudi Arabia, the club’s chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, headed West. In charge of assets worth a reported $930billion for the Public Investment Fund, few are more powerful across the globe than the Toon supremo.
However, the PIF Governor was next to two titans last night as he enjoyed old-fashioned blood, guts and fury at UFC 309. Al-Rumayyan was seated next to US president-elect Trump – who won a landslide election over Kamala Harris a fortnight ago – and the world’s richest man Musk.
Trump’s relationship with the UFC stretches back to 2001 when an up-and-coming sport was acquired by Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta and Dana White. Still lightyears away from selling the company for £4billion, few venues or states opened their doors to the “blood sport” quickly gaining popularity.
That was until the president-elect hosted the first two UFC events under new ownership at his Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He has remained close to White, the company’s president, and regularly attends big fights.
Flanked by a horde of Secret Service agents, Trump made his first public appearance since winning the election at MSG. New best buddy Musk – appointed co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency in Trump’s cabinet after donating a staggering $118million to the campaign – was closely by his side.
The less-recognisable Al-Rumayyan, at least in Western circles, also enjoyed ringside seats. Weary-eyed Newcastle fans who stayed up late to watch Jon Jones retain his UFC heavyweight crown did not miss a beat, however, as jokes about the need for a new right-winger soon flooded social media.
Newcastle World
