WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump reached his 80th birthday Sunday, choosing to mark the milestone in a way few could have predicted: with professional cage fighting on the South Lawn of the White House.
The event comes amid a backdrop of significant national challenges, including a three-month-old war with Iran that has drawn widespread disapproval from Americans, unsettled global oil markets, and inflation that has climbed to its highest point since April 2023. Despite all of that, the iconic White House grounds — long regarded as a symbol of American democracy — were transformed Sunday night into an arena for a full UFC fight card.
According to a court filing from the National Park Service, which has oversight of the South Lawn, more than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor went into constructing the arena for the event.
The fight series, operating under the banner “Freedom 250,” consists of seven bouts featuring all male fighters. The event is designed to honor both Trump’s 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing.
The main card, headlined by two title fights and broadcasting on Paramount+, was scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The event represents the height of a 25-year relationship between Trump and UFC CEO Dana White — a partnership that has brought personal, political, and financial benefits to both men. White’s first event as UFC president was held back in 2001 at Trump Taj Mahal.
Trump has attended four UFC events as a sitting president, entering to rock music and patriotic cheers from the crowd in a manner similar to the fighters themselves. White introduced Trump at two Republican National Conventions and also attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, which ended abruptly following a shooting.
The fight card has faced criticism online from fans who consider the matchups underwhelming. In the main event, Alex Pereira of Brazil will square off against Ciryl Gane of France for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Following that, Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will face interim champion Justin Gaethje — one of only two Americans who currently hold any portion of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.
Five additional bouts round out the main card, including appearances by former title-fight contenders Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis, as well as former 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley.
White confirmed the event would proceed regardless of weather conditions. Strong thunderstorms and intense lightning had already disrupted a promotional event at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, and forecasts for Sunday evening also pointed to threatening weather.
