Donald Trump’s surreal UFC event on the White House grounds finally came to an end after a delayed start and a series of embarrassing moments.
The final bout finished just after 1 a.m. ET on Monday, with Justin Gaethje pulling off a major upset by defeating Ilia Topuria to become the UFC’s undisputed lightweight champion. Gaethje shook Trump’s bruised and make-up-covered hand moments after winning the fight.
Away from the fighting, the UFC event—staged as part of the America250 celebrations, but which just so happened to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday—also featured a number of shocks and controversial incidents.
Most notably, heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit launched a vile insult at former first lady Michelle Obama after defeating Derrick Lewis in the second round of their fight.
“Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right America?” Hokit said, prompting a mixture of laughter and boos from the crowd.
Podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan made no mention of the remark during a post-fight interview in the Octagon. According to CNN, Trump “appeared to show a half-smile” after Hokit attacked Obama during the event on the White House grounds.
Even before a fight took place, the tacky UFC event was an embarrassment suitable only for marking Trump’s 80th birthday.
The event was at risk of being completely disrupted by heavy rain, strong winds, and even lightning.
The Weather Channel posted on X that UFC Freedom 250 was facing “chaotic” weather conditions, including a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms.
In response, the Trump White House’s Rapid Response 47 X account lashed out at The Weather Channel, posting: “This event is about celebrating America’s unmatched greatness after 250 years—which apparently doesn’t sit well with the friendless loser who wrote this bulls--t clickbait headline.”
Despite the angry outburst, the first fight was delayed by an hour as a precaution because of unsettled weather sweeping across Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
The event eventually began at 9 p.m. and was watched by around 4,000 attendees, including Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The South Lawn of the White House was desecrated to accommodate the enormous structure known as “The Claw,” as well as the octagon fighting area.
Not even the inside of the historic complex was safe from the preparations. On Sunday, the White House’s official X account shared photos showing how the Eisenhower Executive Office Building had been transformed into a makeshift locker room for the event.
The event also continued the president’s tendency to grift while in office, with his eponymous cryptocurrency among the sponsors and his Truth Social platform sponsoring one of the fights.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who routinely criticizes the president, was among those who condemned the event.
“The White House was built to serve the American people. Tonight it was used to promote a company the President owns stock in, sell subscriptions, promote corporate sponsors, push Trump crypto, and enrich the President and his family,” Newsom posted on X.
“The founders warned us about kings enriching themselves from public office. They did not fight a revolution for this.”
Elsewhere, Sunday’s event featured a bizarre moment when an anti-Trump fighter appeared to gatecrash proceedings before being escorted away by the Secret Service.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, a vocal critic of the president, claimed he had been banned from the White House event but still appeared at UFC’s fan festival on the Ellipse, where thousands of people watched the fights on giant screens near the White House.
Strickland was removed shortly after being mobbed by fans, with the United States Park Police telling ESPN that his “unplanned presence” resulted in “disorder.”
“To the fan that snuck me in.. Youre a f---ing legend and a true America,” Strickland posted on X. “You did what the UFC wouldnt.”
