White House hosts “UFC Freedom 250” fight on Trump’s 80th birthday
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform a flyover during the national anthem during the “UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest” outside the White House on June 14, 2026. \ CBS
Washington — For the first time in U.S. history, the White House hosted Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts on Sunday, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Trump’s 80th birthday.
Mixed martial arts fighters squared off on the White House South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250, culminating in a main card fight between Georgian-Spanish Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship. Gaethje defeated Topuria. The main card streamed on Paramount+, which is owned by Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News.
Despite the threat of storms, thousands turned out to watch the fights, which took place in an eight-sided cage beneath a massive canopy known as “The Claw.” Mr. Trump sat in the front row, along with other VIPs, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Fans also watched from the nearby Ellipse, and UFC had a map of bars showing the fights.
The main card event ended with Gaethje upsetting Topuria to become the new UFC lightweight champion, earning a handshake from Mr. Trump himself.
Some of the fighters showed their support for Mr. Trump, with fighter Bo Nickal personally thanking the president. And when heavyweight champion Josh Hokit presented Mr. Trump with a chain after his knockout victory, he used his post-fight interview to insult former first lady Michelle Obama. The insult was quickly condemned afterward, especially by critics of the president.
After the UFC event concluded, Mr. Trump left to fly to France for the Group of Seven summit with world leaders.
Mr. Trump sought to bring the fights to his presidential turf for almost a year, and UFC executive Dana White is a longtime friend of his. The two stepped onto the balcony together at the start of the event, and someone in the crowd shouted “Happy birthday,” which was met with applause. The Zac Brown Band, accompanied by the Joint Armed Forces Chorus, sang the national anthem as a military flyover occurred at the end.
Historic changing of South Lawn
The UFC event was just the first of a number of events marking the country’s 250th birthday. The Great American State Fair and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., are other events on tap this summer from Freedom 250, a Trump-aligned organization planning events for the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The view of the White House from nearby streets had been altered by the setup of star-spangled rigging, which towers at over 92 feet and encloses a UFC Octagon. Mr. Trump told reporters the rigging — known as the “Claw” — would come down after the bouts.
Two Virginians sued over the planned fights, arguing that UFC had been unlawfully granted “unfettered access to the White House … to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access.”
A judge on Friday declined to block the event after the Justice Department, with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the helm, defended the administration’s plans, asserting that the plaintiffs filed their case too late and couldn’t prove harm.
“It would be easy enough to simply avert their gazes for the weekend,” the Justice Department said in a filing. “Instead, they seek to enlist the power of a federal court to impose their idiosyncratic preferences on the rest of the country and ruin an event designed to celebrate the United States of America.”
The president invited some of the fighters to the White House last month.
The UFC fights
The main card event promised to be interesting. Topuria, or “El Matador,” was undefeated at 17-0, and Gaethje, known as “The Highlight,” was considered the underdog, but came out on top.
“First of all, it’s not gonna be the biggest in UFC history; I think it’s gonna be one of the biggest events in sports history, one of the more memorable ones,” Topuria said earlier, according to UFC. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime, very unique event, and being able to be part of an event like this — especially headlining an event like this — is something I feel very grateful about. I’m very excited for what’s coming.”
The undisputed UFC title is a first for Gaethje, who was eager for the challenge.
The two have had a personal scuffle online, after Gaethje made comments about his opponent’s ex-wife.
“All that guy is, is a gimmick,” Gaethje told Fox Sports Australia. “He calls himself the king. He thinks he’s a god. … I couldn’t imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes listening to him talk about himself. … And I can say this: I would leave him. That’s all I’m saying. I would leave him.”
Topuria said: “Justin crossed a line.”
“What happened between my ex-wife and me is our business,” Topuria wrote on X. “We may no longer be together, but she is the mother of my daughter.”
Gaethje said he was “joking.” A reporter asked Gaethje in a press conference if he feels like he’s made Topuria overly emotional with some of his comments.
“I hope so. I hope so,” Gaethje responded. “I hope he’s going to come out very aggressive.”
Gaethje didn’t want to preview his approach for the fight.
“Everything is misdirection,” he said. “I’m never going to show my cards before the fight.”
At Saturday’s weigh-in, Hokit was staggering and speaking incoherently and, at a couple of points, spit up on himself.
After Hokit’s false post-match claim, Democratic Rep. Melissa Stansbury, of New Mexico, said, “Let me get this straight. … The dude who puked on himself live on TV during his weigh-in is hurling insults at the former first lady now? Disgusting. Welcome to the Trump Administration.”
The full list of fights:
Lightweight Title Bout: Justin Gaethje def. Ilia Topuria
Heavyweight Interim Title Bout: Ciryl Gane def. Alex Pereira
Bantamweight Bout: Sean O’Malley def. Aiemann Zahabi
Heavyweight Bout: Josh Hokit def. Derrick Lewis
Lightweight Bout: Maurício Ruffy def. Michael Chandler
Middleweight Bout: Bo Nickal def. Kyle Daukaus
Featherweight Bout: Diego Lopes def. Steve Garcia
