Washington — For the first time in U.S. history, the White House is hosting United Fighting Championship bouts on Sunday, marking the nation's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Trump's 80th birthday.
Mixed martial arts fighters are squaring off on the White House South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250, culminating in a main card fight between Georgian-Spanish Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship. The main card is streaming on Paramount+, which is owned by Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News.
The president, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials are in attendance. The South Lawn is filled with thousands of guests, including members of the military. Fans are also watching from the nearby Ellipse, and UFC has a map of bars showing the fights.
Mr. Trump has sought to bring the fights to his presidential turf for almost a year, and UFC executive Dana White is a longtime friend of the president. The two stepped onto the balcony together at the start of the event, and someone in the crowd shouted "Happy birthday," which was met with applause. Zac Brown Band, accompanied by the Joint Armed Forces Chorus, sang the national anthem as a military flyover occurred at the end.
The UFC event is just the first of a number of events marking the country's 250th birthday. The Great American State Fair and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., are other events on tap this summer from Freedom 250, a Trump-aligned organization planning events for the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Mixed martial arts fighters are squaring off on the White House South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250, culminating in a main card fight between Georgian-Spanish Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship. The main card is streaming on Paramount+, which is owned by Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News.
The president, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials are in attendance. The South Lawn is filled with thousands of guests, including members of the military. Fans are also watching from the nearby Ellipse, and UFC has a map of bars showing the fights.
Mr. Trump has sought to bring the fights to his presidential turf for almost a year, and UFC executive Dana White is a longtime friend of the president. The two stepped onto the balcony together at the start of the event, and someone in the crowd shouted "Happy birthday," which was met with applause. Zac Brown Band, accompanied by the Joint Armed Forces Chorus, sang the national anthem as a military flyover occurred at the end.
The UFC event is just the first of a number of events marking the country's 250th birthday. The Great American State Fair and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., are other events on tap this summer from Freedom 250, a Trump-aligned organization planning events for the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
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