Trump Attends UFC Miami Event with Rubio as Iran Peace Talks Collapse

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were ringside at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday night, taking in the UFC fight card just as peace talks with Iran collapsed thousands of miles away.

Trump arrived at the venue shortly after 9pm accompanied by several members of his family, including Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. Also in attendance were UFC president Dana White — a longtime Trump ally who has been a fixture at the former president's events since his first term — along with Rubio, rapper Vanilla Ice, and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino.

While the president watched the evening's fights with evident enjoyment, his vice president, JD Vance, was in Islamabad delivering the news that negotiations with Iran had broken down. The talks, held in Pakistan with US officials present, failed to produce any agreement, with a major sticking point being Iran's refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear programme.

"We need to see an affirmative commitment that Iran will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," Vance told reporters afterward. "That is the core goal of the president of the United States."

Trump, whose approval ratings have faced pressure amid public unease over the Iran conflict, received a warm reception from the Miami crowd as a Kid Rock track played over the speakers. He greeted fans, posed for photographs, and engaged with UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan throughout the evening.

The fights themselves delivered the drama the audience came for. In the co-main event, Paulo Costa defeated Azamat Murzakanov, with Costa walking over to shake the president's hand after his victory. A particularly brutal bout saw Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes engage in a bloody exchange that had the crowd on its feet.

After the event, White confirmed that the Hokit fight had been added to a historic UFC card planned for the White House on June 14 — the president's 80th birthday and the United States' 250th anniversary. White said the fight was added at Trump's personal request.

"President Trump built half of that fight, Rogan built the other half," White said in a video posted to social media. "Both guys have agreed and accepted the fight."

Rubio was seen at various points leaning toward Trump, once appearing to show the president something on his phone. Meanwhile, Jared Kushner — Ivanka's husband — was in Pakistan with Vance during the failed negotiations, underscoring the parallel diplomatic drama unfolding far from the arena.