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Super necessary!
It’s going to be a star-studded affair at UFC 244, as not only is President Donald Trump planning on attending Saturday night’s (Nov. 2, 2019) pay-per-view (PPV) event in New York City, but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has confirmed he will also be in attendance inside Madison Square Garden.
Better yet, he revealed that he would, in fact, be presenting the “BMF” belt to either Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal once the dust settles. And while many in the mixed martial arts (MMA) community have tried to downplay the “BMF” title (examples here and here), “The Rock” is all for it.
“This addition to the company and the brand and to the sport, this BMF belt, I think it’s brilliant,” Johnson said during an Instagram live chat with UFC president Dana White (via ESPN). “It’s so smart and it’s just fun, man. That place is gonna be rocking, it’s gonna be electrifying. I can’t wait to get in there, man.”
But the former pro wrestler-turned action movie star’s involvement with UFC won’t end (or begin) there, as he revealed that he will also be in attendance at this Friday’s (Nov. 1, 2019) UFC 245 press conference — also in “The Big Apple” — with a special announcement, saying it’s “something I wanted to tell the UFC fans and MMA community first,” per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
As for what the announcement could be, the possibilities are endless as Johnson is represented by Endeavor, the powerhouse talent agency that acquired UFC for $4 billion a few years ago.
Aside from his highly-successful pro wrestling and acting career, “The Rock” is also a businessman, and has workout gear, headphones and even a tequila brand under his name, so perhaps he’s partnering with UFC on another venture.
That said, don’t expect the big man to step inside the Octagon anytime soon.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 244 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 244: “Masvidal vs. Diaz” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. And to see episode one of “Embedded,” click here.