What we covered here
• President Donald Trump hosted a UFC fight night on the White House grounds on Sunday as part of programming for America’s 250th anniversary. Trump watched the matches from a cage-side seat on the South Lawn, sitting between first lady Melania Trump and UFC CEO Dana White. Trump’s entire immediate family was in attendance.
• Also at the event were several high-profile business leaders and administration officials. The fight night generated enthusiasm among Trump supporters, but drew rebuke from critics and skepticism from some Republicans. Protesters rallied outside the White House, while attendees flocked into fan zones.
• It was an eventful birthday for the president, who also announced an agreement had been reached with Iran. He headed to the G7 summit in France after the fights.
Our live coverage of the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House has ended. Get the latest US politics news here.
Key takeaways and photos from the UFC fight night event at the White House
President Donald Trump hosted a UFC fight night event on the White House South Lawn on Sunday, the day of his 80th birthday, and watched from a seat next to the “Octagon.”
Billionaires and lawmakers attended the event alongside the president’s entire immediate family and members of his Cabinet.
CNN observed heavy security around the entrance to the UFC event at the Ellipse Sunday evening, as the proceedings got underway.
It was a night of wild knockouts for UFC fans, including two stunning upsets.
After the conclusion of the third fight, some in the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to the president.
UFC CEO Dana White cast Sunday’s fight night at the White House as an overwhelming success, while insisting that the event was not meant to be political.
The morning after the fight, Trump commented on how the weather turned in their favor, even though thunderstorms were forecasted.
“The weather was scheduled to be horrendous, and it turned out to be PERFECT!” Trump said. “One of the most exciting days in the History of our fabled White House!”
UFC chief hails White House fight night – and rules out doing it again
UFC CEO Dana White cast Sunday’s fight night at the White House as an overwhelming success while insisting that the event was not meant to be political.
White also acknowledged that the notoriety of the event and its location likely brought UFC to some new audiences.
“Hopefully we created some unity in the country and in the world and brought in some new fans,” he said.
While noting the uniqueness of the event, White was blunt about putting together an encore. Asked whether Trump might want to “do it again next year,” he replied:
White said he and the president are “talking about doing a fight for the troops” sometime next year but that those plans still needed to be set. He noted the difficulty around scheduling events at US military bases but said, “the president can make a lot of things happen.”
UFC fight night at White House ends with huge upset
Despite the added scrutiny and security protocols outside the cage, fight fans were treated to a night of wild knockouts inside it, culminating in two stunning upsets in the co-main bouts.
American Justin Gaethje was crowned the new lightweight champion after dethroning Ilia Topuria – the Spanish-Georgian’s corner called the fight after the fourth round owing to injuries. Gaethje broke Topuria’s previously undefeated 17-0 professional record in what UFC commentator Joe Rogan called “one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.”
Gaethje shook President Donald Trump’s hand moments after winning the fight. Trump called the event “beyond anything anybody’s ever seen in sports” as he headed inside the White House shortly after.
There was another shock in the earlier co-main event, when France’s Ciryl Gane knocked out one of the biggest stars in the UFC in former two-division champion Alex Pereira of Brazil, to capture the interim heavyweight belt.
Early round knockouts were a theme for the preceding undercard, with fan favorite Sean O’Malley, donning his unmistakeable neon pink-dyed cornrows, ended Canadian Aiemann Zahabi’s seven-fight win streak with a devastating knockout in the second round.
American heavyweight Josh Hokit finished compatriot Derrick Lewis in round two to extend his undefeated professional fighting record to 10-0. UFC veteran Lewis has long been considered one of Trump’s favorite fighters.
Elsewhere, Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy dispatched American Michael Chandler in the first round of their lightweight bout; Bo Nickal knocked out fellow American Kyle Daukaus just as Trump took his seat; and Brazilian Diego Lopes staged an impressive comeback to finish American Steve Garcia to open the event.
Trump is taking in the action from a cage-side seat
President Donald Trump is watching matches at the UFC fight night he’s hosting from a seat next to the “Octagon” on the White House South Lawn. The events also landed on his 80th birthday.
President Trump watched UFC Freedom 250 from a seat next to the octagon on the White House South Lawn, part of events marking America’s 250th anniversary. Today's events also landed on his 80th birthday.
Trump seen smiling briefly after UFC fighter makes offensive remarks about Michelle Obama
President Donald Trump was seen smiling briefly cage-side after UFC fighter Josh Hokit made a false and offensive remark about former first lady Michelle Obama during his post-fight speech.
Hokit praised Trump for putting on the White House event, before adding, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”
In a brief moment captured on camera, Trump, seated first row at the “Octagon,” appeared to show a half-smile seconds after the false remark, which has previously circulated online. A mixture of cheers and boos rippled through the crowd.
CNN has reached out to the White House and Michelle Obama’s office for comment.
Earlier this year, Trump refused to apologize after posting and then deleting a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle, insisting he hadn’t seen the final frames containing the offensive content and blaming a staffer for the mistake.
Here's a look at some of the VIPs at White House UFC event
CNN’s Kit Maher reports on the big-name guests attending the UFC fight night on the White House grounds.
President Donald Trump is hosting a UFC fight night on the White House grounds, as part of programming for America’s 250th anniversary. CNN's Kit Maher reports on which big-name guests attended the event.
David Ellison greets Trump cage-side at White House UFC event, days after merger approval
David Ellison, the Paramount Skydance chief executive, spoke with President Donald Trump at the UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday, days after the Trump administration approved a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Friday’s sign-off by the Department of Justice, while expected, was a key step in Paramount’s quest to acquire CNN, HBO, the Warner Bros. movie studio and other Warner Bros. Discovery assets.
The bid for WBD has been a source of controversy, partly due to Paramount’s close ties to Trump and the company’s perceived efforts to win favor with his administration.
Paramount says the deal is “fundamentally pro-competitive.” As for the prospect of taking control of CNN, which has raised alarms among press freedom groups, the company says it is committing to “invest in the future of journalism, not diminish it.”
Ellison was first seen kneeling beside the president as the two spoke for roughly a minute and a half while Trump remained seated.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was also seen with the president.
Both men were seen in video footage at different points approaching Trump, who was seated cage-side during a break between fights, to briefly greet him.
Zuckerberg approached Trump, shook his hand, and also greeted first lady Melania Trump.
Following the interactions, Trump stood and joined a group photo with Zuckerberg, Ellison, and others. Dana White appeared centered in the frame as the group gathered for the picture.
CNN’s Brian Stelter contributed reporting.
Trump's family attends UFC fight night at the White House
President Donald Trump’s entire immediate family turned out cage-side for the historic “UFC Freedom 250” event held Sunday on the White House South Lawn, which coincided with his 80th birthday celebration.
First lady Melania Trump was seated next to the president throughout the fights as the mega event unfolded.
Donald Trump Jr. and his new wife Bettina Trump, Eric Trump and Lara Trump, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, and Tiffany Trump with her husband Michael Boulos were all spotted ringside, at times approaching the US president, to take photos during breaks in the fights. Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, sat behind his parents.
Several of the president’s grandchildren also attended the mixed martial arts event. Kai Trump, his eldest granddaughter, who has often appeared with him at sporting events, posted on social media earlier Sunday, a playful staged pre-fight face-off with UFC CEO Dana White inside the White House octagon.
Other grandchildren, including Donald J. Trump III and Spencer Trump, have also previously attended as part of Trump’s entourage at major public sporting events.
UFC crowd sings "Happy Birthday" to Trump
After the conclusion of the third fight, some in the crowd sung “Happy Birthday” to President Donald Trump, who turned 80 years old today.
Trump has appeared to be watching the fights closely, clapping at parts and occasionally turning to speak to UFC President and CEO Dana White beside him.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland escorted from fan event, police say
Sean Strickland, the current UFC middleweight champion, was not on the fight card. Instead, after he showed up anyway to the UFC Fan Fest at the Ellipse, the fighter was escorted out and brought back to his hotel earlier this evening, US Park Police told CNN.
“The unplanned presence of Sean Strickland drew significant attention from attendees, resulting in disorder,” the law enforcement agency told CNN, adding that Strikland left “without incident.”
“Due to concerns for Strickland’s safety and the safety of event patrons, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police, and other assisting agencies evacuated him safely from the area,” the US Park Police public information office said.
The agency said Strickland was neither cited nor arrested in connection with the incident and he “was advised not to return to the venue for his own and public safety.”
Strickland is a former supporter of President Donald Trump. He has frequently taken to social media to criticize the president over his support of Israel, the war in Iran and how the release of the Department of Justice’s Epstein files has unfolded, sometimes using inflammatory remarks.
Trump takes in UFC action from cage-side seat alongside first lady and Dana White
President Donald Trump watched the UFC matches from a cage-side seat on the White House South Lawn, sitting between first lady Melania Trump and UFC President and CEO Dana White.
Throughout the event, Trump could be seen leaning over to speak with both the first lady and White as fighters faced off inside the “Octagon.” At one point, he pointed toward the action while closely watching.
The president maintained a serious expression during one match, but broke into applause and smiles after it concluded, once again leaning in to speak with White, who nodded in response.
During a break in the action, the Village People’s “YMCA” — a Trump mainstay — blasted across the huge structure called the “Claw,” as the president stood to greet attendees.
At one point during a break in the action, two of Trump’s children, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump, and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump approached the president with several of his grandchildren, gathering near the Octagon for photos.
Heavy security presence at White House UFC event
CNN observed heavy security around the entrance to the UFC event at the Ellipse Sunday evening, as the proceedings got underway.
Metropolitan DC Police were working alongside National Guardsmen, US Park Police, Secret Service Police, and Homeland Security Investigations agents.
An armored bearcat vehicle operated by the Secret Service Police cruised down the center of Constitution Avenue shortly before the event, and a Park Police helicopter flew overhead. About 200 yards from the entrance to the Ellipse, a line of mounted Park Police officers stood at the ready.
In addition, the perimeter of the Ellipse is ringed with anti-scale fencing and bike-rack barricades.
A Secret Service official previously told CNN there would be a “very tight security presence” at the UFC event. The Secret Service is handling all security on the White House grounds itself, the official said, with Park Police being the “point” on the Ellipse and DC Metropolitan Police handling everything outside the Ellipse, including multiple street closures.
The Secret Service is handling the screening of all guests on the Ellipse, the official said — utilizing magnetometers, wanding, radiation detection and other measures. In addition, the official said, there is an “unseen” layer of security, including plainclothes officers, sniper teams and counter-assault teams.
Event organizers, in court papers associated with a lawsuit, said they expected more than 100,000 people inside the Ellipse to watch the UFC fights on big screens, with an additional 4,000-plus people on the South Lawn itself.
Weather update: The atmosphere has a few rumbles left
The main event may be over, but the atmosphere is still ready to rumble.
While thunderstorms have largely spared the UFC fight night in Washington, DC, a few lingering storms nearby could still bring lightning and thunder this evening.
One lightning strike was detected within about 6 miles of the White House just before 9 p.m. ET.
DC appears to have dodged the worst of the weather on fight night
Good news for UFC fans: Thunderstorms have mostly steered clear of Washington, DC, today.
While storms have bubbled up elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, radar shows the District largely avoiding the downpours and lightning that could have disrupted tonight’s event. The biggest impact thus far has been a few strong wind gusts with potential to disturb any carefully arranged hairstyles.
Trump and UFC CEO Dana White arrive on White House balcony
President Donald Trump and Ultimate Fighting Championship President and CEO Dana White have arrived at the White House balcony to kick off tonight’s events.
The pair walked out of the Oval Office, through the Colonnade and up to the balcony of the Blue Room.
Shortly after they arrived at about 8:28 p.m., the Zac Brown Band played the National Anthem and kicked off the evening’s events. While they played, a 12-jet flyover streaked overhead.
In an ironic choice considering the threatening weather, “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC blasted immediately after the anthem.
Trump is cage-side, on the western side of the octagon. Dana White and family members including Donald Trump Jr are with him.
Top Trump administration officials arrive for UFC fights
Members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet have started to arrive at the White House for tonight’s fights, according to reporters covering the president today.
Those who have arrived for the event include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Health and Humans Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner; Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Kelly Loeffler, who leads the Small Business Administration; and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
First lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance are also set to attend.
Take a tour of the fan zones right outside the White House
CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan has been walking around the areas where fans are hanging out before the fight card gets underway:
CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan spoke with attendees at the White House's UFC event about how far they traveled to be there their thoughts on the event.
Noteworthy guests seen heading into UFC fight
Noteworthy guests who scored VIP tickets to the UFC fight on the South Lawn have begun arriving at the event near the White House.
CNN spotted NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who played for the Dallas Cowboys; Raiders NFL player Maxx Crosby; Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian; and the owners of the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders. Guests encountered some confusion on which VIP area to enter. The CEO of Kalshi, Tarek Mansour, was walking around trying to find the correct entrance for his ticket.
Comedian Shane Gillis walked past the VIP gate. When asked by CNN how he scored a ticket, he said, “I swear, I don’t know.”
Musician Kid Rock showed up, too, wearing a white ball cap while he signed autographs.
Sharon Simmons, the Arkansas woman who delivered DoorDash to the Oval Office for Trump in April, stood near the VIP information tent.
Several members of Congress were seen walking on the streets and beyond the gates, including Sen. David McCormick, Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Brandon Gill, Rep. Ronny Jackson and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar.
Some were dropped off in SUVs and walked out toward the gates, including Paula White-Cain, senior adviser for the White House faith office.
People took pictures with influencer Nick Shirley outside the VIP information tent. The administration credits him with uncovering fraud in Minnesota.
David Warrington, White House counsel, went up to UFC VIP staff at an entrance where attendees were required to have wristbands for a pre-fight party.
“I’m the White House counsel; I’d presume I’d get in through VIP,” he said, but was directed elsewhere.
Fox News anchors Martha MacCallum and Harris Faulkner were also spotted.
Later, as the fights were underway, a New York Times reporter posted photos of Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, a fan of mixed martial arts fighting, sitting in the front row beneath the Claw. Nearby, stood David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, whose $111 billion purchase of Warner Brothers Discovery, parent company of CNN, was recently approved by the Justice Department.
This post has been updated with additional information.
How the Trump family is cashing in on the White House UFC event
As President Donald Trump prepares to host tonight’s UFC fights at the White House, his family is promoting a venture aimed at profiting off the spectacle by selling gold coins priced as high as $12,000.
The “Freedom 250”-themed silver and gold medallions feature Trump’s face and are being marketed as a collaboration between the UFC and the Trump Organization, which is run by the president’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
The coins, which were being sold in advance of the fights, have been dubbed “Trump Coins” on a website that also boasts they were “designed by President Trump.” There are four coins for sale, ranging from a silver one that costs nearly $250 to a $11,999.99 gold medallion whose holder comes with a portrait of Trump and UFC chief Dana White.
The Trump Organization appears only to be licensing the president’s brand for the coins and is not manufacturing or selling them.
But the collaboration marks the Trump family’s latest involvement in efforts to cash in on his return to the White House — and yet another example of the president’s eagerness to put his name on an array of products, events and initiatives related to his administration.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper takes a closer look into other products Trump and his family have promoted:
CNN's Anderson Cooper looks at how President Donald Trump and his family are promoting gold and silver coins commemorating the UFC fight set to take place at the White House.
