06/14/26 08:11:00
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06/14 20:10 CDT Donald Trump turns 80 and celebrates with UFC cage fighting on
the White House lawn
Donald Trump turns 80 and celebrates with UFC cage fighting on the White House
lawn
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) --- Fueled by a dose of high-octane patriotism, President
Donald Trump and UFC boss Dana White walked out from the Oval Office to chants
of "USA!" to greet military members and political dignitaries set to watch one
of the more surreal spectacles in sports and even in the nation's capital: cage
fighting on the White House lawn.
A long-time fight fan with a 25-year professional relationship with White,
Trump turned 80 on Sunday and fans gathered on a gloomy night on the South Lawn
cheered when one fan yelled out "happy birthday!"
Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia opened UFC Freedom 250 in a featherweight bout
under the structure known as the Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90
feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of
wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can
follow the cage fighting below.
Garcia walked out of the White House draped in an American flag and accompanied
by two police officers. Lopes walked out to the Mexican song "La Chona."
The show was steeped in pageantry and stands as an outlier among UFC events.
The Marine Band played from in front of the White House and Zac Brown sang the
national anthem --- which is never played before normal UFC fight cards because
of the mix of nationalities fighting inside the Octagon. The Navy's Blue Angels
and Air Force Thunderbirds zipped overhead as part of a flyover.
Bruce Buffer's voice thundered from the cage as always for fight introductions,
and his star-spangled threads fit the occasion: gold stars on the outside of
his suit coat and mini American flags stitched inside.
Hours after the United States and Iran reached an agreement to end the war and
open the Strait of Hormuz, offering relief to the global economy more than
three months since fighting began, the White House --- long known as the
people's house and a symbol of American democracy --- opened its backyard to
stage the fights.
More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured
into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park
Service, which oversees the South Lawn.
UFC is staging seven fights with all male fighters under the Freedom 250 banner
to celebrate Trump's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of
Independence's signing.
The fight card headlined by two title fights on Paramount+ was scheduled to
start at 8 p.m. Eastern. The official televised portion of the show started
closer to 30 minutes later and the first fight went off closer to 9 p.m.
Strong thunderstorms and heavy lightning disrupted Friday's Lincoln Memorial
promotional event, and the forecast for Sunday evening also looked menacing.
White said the show will go on rain or shine.
The rare UFC outdoors event marked the pinnacle of the relationship between
White and Trump that has yielded personal, political and financial dividends
for both parties. White's first card as UFC president came in 2001 at an event
held at Trump Taj Mahal.
Trump has attended four UFC cards as sitting president, walking to the cage
amid rock music and patriotic chants from fans much like the fighters
themselves. White introduced Trump at two Republican National Conventions.
White also attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in April
that was cut short by a shooting.
In a card that has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, Alex Pereira of
Brazil will meet Ciryl Gane of France for the interim UFC heavyweight title.
Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria then takes on interim champ
Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of
the UFC's 11 championship belts.
There are five other fights on the main card that include former title-fight
participants Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis and former 135-pound champion
Sean O'Malley.
Not everyone was able to get tickets to the big event.
Even one of UFC's champions.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Ellipse event
by a group of police officers and taken into a Park Police van Sunday.
Once a vocal supporter of Trump, Strickland has recently said on social media
that he was not invited to participate in the event at the White House because
he is an outspoken critic of Israel.
Strickland was wearing a black anorak jacket and was barefoot. It wasn't
immediately clear why law enforcement led him away.
White has rejected Strickland's accusation that he was banned from UFC Freedom
250 events.
"Nobody is banned. Nothing is banned," White told reporters earlier this month.
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AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts
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