Justin Gaethje shakes hands with President Donald Trump after winning the UFC lightweight title fight at the White House on June 14, 2026. Chris Unger Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

How political leaders use combat spectacles to symbolize national power and purpose

For both Roman gladiators and modern-day mixed martial arts participants, physical contests become moral dramas about sacrifice and human limits. That has led today’s fighters to right-wing politics.

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