Luke Coppen

Ultimate fighting president

After saving the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he became the Godfather of mixed martial arts

issue 03 December 2016

Last month a rich, boastful alpha male savoured the greatest victory of his life in New York City. Almost no one thought he could do it, but he made it look easy. In the build-up he ridiculed his opponent mercilessly and feuded with enemies on Twitter. ‘I’d like to take this chance to apologise,’ he said straight after his win, ‘to absolutely nobody!’

This wasn’t Trump Tower, but Madison Square Garden. Conor McGregor had just become the first two-weight champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history. Thanks to the Irishman, who combines the athletic talent of Muhammad Ali with the comic ferocity of Bill Hicks, the event broke the arena’s ticket revenue record. Yet his sport of mixed martial arts was only legalised in New York State this year. The UFC had finally elbowed its way into America’s sporting mainstream.


Luke Coppen and Joel Snape discuss the relationship between Trump and UFC


Donald Trump had wanted to be there that night to celebrate his own unlikely triumph in the US elections.

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