Hours after announcing a completed preliminary agreement to end the ongoing war in Iran and lift a U.S. naval blockade, President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday by hosting UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn. In the night’s marquee matchup, American Justin Gaethje defeated Spanish-Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria via a fourth-round corner stoppage to close out an unprecedented live cage-fighting event.
The event marked the beginning of the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebrations and concluded early Monday morning well after 1 a.m. with a fireworks display. Fighters competed inside a wire-mesh Octagon housed under a large metal arch dubbed “The Claw.” The spectacle featured heavy patriotic pageantry, including a performance of the national anthem by the Zac Brown Band and flyovers from the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds, according to an Associated Press report detailing Gaethje’s win and the military displays.
Following an initial UFC Freedom 250 delay caused by storms, the card proceeded with several bloody finishes. Bo Nickal earned a technical knockout victory over Kyle Daukaus. Heavyweight Josh Hokit flattened Derrick Lewis by TKO to improve his professional record to 10-0, while Sean O’Malley secured a walk-off knockout. In conjunction with the bouts, the UFC partnered with World Liberty Financial to establish a $250,000 athlete bonus pool for the night’s winners.
Trump and UFC CEO Dana White walked from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to chants of “USA!” from the 4,000 spectators in attendance, which included Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Thousands more watched via large screens at the Ellipse. Outside the cage, UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Ellipse by law enforcement prior to the event, details verified by an AP report covering the Iran deal logistics and Strickland’s removal.