Markwayne Mullin, election-denying former cage fighter, closes on Oklahoma Senate seat

Congressman who embraced Donald Trump's big lie seeks to replace retiring Senator Jim Inhofe

An election-denying former mixed martial arts fighter who was widely criticised for an attempted freelance mission last year to rescue Americans trapped in Afghanistan has won a shot at a US Senate seat from Oklahoma.

Markwayne Mullin, a sitting congressman, beat another Donald Trump loyalist and election denier for their party's nomination in a special election on Tuesday and will seek to replace the long-serving senator Jim Inhofe in November.