President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday on the White House South Lawn over the weekend, where a UFC fight night drew a crowd of thousands.
The event was part of the kickoff to America’s 250th birthday celebration, but doubled as a birthday party for the president.
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It’s an event that’s been drawing attention for weeks, as a massive 30-foot Octagon ring lined with corporate advertisements was built beneath a massive 92-foot lighting canopy dubbed “The Claw.”
Fight night
The Sunday night event kicked off with a joint flyover from the Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds.
Trump arrived with UFC president Dana White and received a rock-star welcome. He was also joined by top administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Even Polish President Karol Nawrocki was in attendance.
The president sat ringside as he watched numerous fights, including lightweight fighters Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, who entered the ring from the Oval Office.
American Gaethje stunned Spanish-Georgian Topuria, winning in just four rounds.
Many of the fighters saluted the president or otherwise acknowledged him. One was even seen speaking to First Lady Melania Trump.
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A late night
Following the last fight, Trump entered the ring to shake hands with the fighters and watched fireworks launch over the White House, well after 1 a.m. ET.
Afterward, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster called the event “one of the most entertaining nights in American history.”
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