President Donald Trump called the White House UFC event “incredible” after more than 4,000 invited guests watched a South Lawn fight card featuring championship bouts, military pageantry and fireworks over Washington.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump praised Sunday night’s UFC event at the White House after the South Lawn was converted into a temporary mixed martial arts arena for a fight card attended by thousands of invited guests and capped by championship bouts.
In an early Monday Truth Social post, Trump called the event “one of the most exciting days in the history of our fabled” executive mansion and said the evening exceeded expectations after forecasts had predicted poor weather.
“The UFC at the White House last night was incredible,” Trump wrote. “The weather was scheduled to be horrendous, and it turned out to be PERFECT!”
The event drew more than 4,000 invited guests, including Vice President JD Vance, members of Trump’s Cabinet, Republican lawmakers, military personnel, athletes and business leaders. It continued past midnight.
Trump, who turned 80 on Sunday, watched the fights cageside with first lady Melania Trump and UFC President Dana White. The cage was set up steps from the White House residence under a large lighting structure known as “The Claw.”
The program included a Navy Blue Angels flyover, fireworks over Washington and repeated chants of “USA! USA!” from the crowd.
Trump singled out several fighters in his post, naming Bo Nickal, Justin Gaethje, Ciryl Gane, Sean O’Malley, Josh Hokit, Mauricio Ruffy and Diego Lopes for their performances. He also congratulated White for staging the event.
The headline fight ended with Gaethje winning the UFC lightweight championship by fourth-round stoppage over previously unbeaten Ilia Topuria. Gaethje controlled much of the fight before Topuria’s corner stopped the contest after the fourth round, giving Topuria the first loss of his professional career.
In the co-main event, Gane won the interim heavyweight title with a knockout victory over former champion Alex Pereira. Lopes, Nickal, Ruffy, Hokit and O’Malley were also among the night’s winners.
The White House event marked an unusual use of the executive mansion grounds for a major combat sports card. Some media outlets described the spectacle as unconventional or controversial, while Trump’s supporters viewed it as a mix of sports, entertainment and patriotic pageantry.
Trump has maintained a long relationship with UFC and White and has frequently attended major UFC cards.
After the event, Trump praised both the production and the setting.
“The White House has never looked more beautiful,” Trump wrote. “The setting was unsurpassed.”
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