Donald Trump boasts he is receiving ‘an obscene amount of money’ for commentary on Evander Holyfield’s fight with Vitor Belfort

Former US president Donald Trump looks set to add some significant cash to his retirement fund after bragging that he will receive an "obscene" paycheck for providing 'alternate commentary' in Saturday's fight in Florida.

It was revealed this week that Trump, along with his son, Donald Jr, will sit in the ringside commentary booth for this weekend's latest boxing sideshow, which is to feature the return of 58-year-old Evander Holyfield against 44-year-old MMA veteran Vitor Belfort – but the controversial former commander-in-chief certainly doesn't come cheap.

According to TMZ, who quote numerous sources close to the situation, Trump is set to bag an extensive pay packet for his services, with the US gossip outlet saying that he is boasting about the "obscene" figure he was offered to appear. 

The exact sum hasn't been made public but TMZ suggests that his compensation could be in the millions of dollars. What's more, Triller are rolling out the red carpet for Trump and have provided him with the use of a G-5 jet to ferry him to the fight.

Trump lives in West Palm Beach, which isn't far from the fight's venue in Hollywood, Florida, but the use of the jet suggests that the former president might first visit his former home city of New York to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

It remains to be seen if the addition of the Trumps to the broadcast will provide the type of promotional fillip that Triller are hoping for in a move which seems designed to eclipse the late loss of original headliner Oscar De La Hoya on the fight card – but the report also states that not everyone involved in constructing the event are overjoyed at Trump's participation.

This news is the latest in what is becoming an increasingly unusual build-up to Saturday's fight between the two veterans of their respective sports. Holyfield has caused a stir by releasing training footage which shows him sandbagging on the pads, prompting concerns that his trademark speed and defensive nous might have abandoned him with age – with some fight fans even calling for the bout to be cancelled. 

Trump, meanwhile, has had a long association with combat sports. He hosted several UFC events in his branded properties in the organization's early days and later partnered with fight brand Affliction to host an event in the United States which featured Russian MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko.

He has also garnered significant support from some well-known MMA figures such as Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal and even Dana White, who spoke on Trump's behalf at the last two Republican National Conventions.

But whether or not Trump can 'make boxing great again' is a question that is very much up for debate.