Lots of knockouts, pageantry, and a few big upsets at UFC event on White House lawn

Justin Gaethje spoke for an extended time in the octagon after the win with Donald Trump Jr. The president, first lady and UFC boss Dana White smiled as they watched fireworks go off over the Washington Monument.

The "Freedom 250" UFC card at the White House ended after midnight Monday morning with an upset victory by American Justin Gaethje over Ilia Topuria, giving Gaethje the lightweight title belt while handing Topuria the first loss of his career.

Topuria entered as one of the top UFC fighters, having already won two divisions while staying undefeated, but Gaethje hurt the belt-holder so much that after the fourth round, Topuria's corner stopped the right rather than send him out for a fifth and final round.

Gaethje celebrated by climbing to the top of the octagon cage and backflipping, then shaking President Trump's hand.

Both fighters landed multiple punches in the first round after neither fighter opted to begin conservatively. Gaethje, the underdog, bloodied the right side of Topuria's face.

Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria in the UFC Freedom 250 main event at the White House on yesterday.  Natalie Keyssar for NBC News

Topuria's uppercuts began to wear down his challenger in the second round, and Gaethje staggered into a corner before falling to the mat directly in front of where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump sat in the front row. Topuria pounced onto the American fighter in hopes of winning by submission, but Gaethje survived to a third round.

A stunning moment came midway through the third round when Gaethje's jab directly to Topuria's right eye sent him to the ground to chants of "U-S-A!" from the pro-U.S. audience. Blood from multiple cuts covered Topuria's face. By round's end, a ringside doctor checked Topuria's vision and shook his head seemingly ready to stop the fight, only for the fight to resume — after Topuria had received an extra minute to recover due to the assessment.

"None of this is good!" the broadcast team said.

Topuria avoided a knockout in the fourth round and had gone to his corner when the fight was ended.

Vice President JD Vance was captured on camera at the fight introducing one of Pope Leo's brothers, Louis Prevost, and his wife, Deborah Prevost, to the president ringside.

Leo has drawn criticism from Vance and Trump, who has described Prevost as “all MAGA.”

Prevost was seen wearing a short-sleeve, button-up shirt emblazoned with an image of the American flag as well as the letters "USA."

JD Vance introduces Pope’s brother to Trump

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The cageside doctor nearly stopped the fight after examining Topuria’s vision. He had so much blood it was hard for the champion to see. The crowd chanted, “Let them fight!” Referee Marc Goddard then spoke with the right, and the fight continued into Round 4.

I'm not sure how Ilia Topuria survived that. His face is covered in blood after taking a huge straight right to the face by Justin Gaethje early in Round 3. Though staggered, he held on to survive the round. Chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" have been yelled by the packed crowd here.

Polymarket is sponsoring this final card, and the play-by-play announcers are updating how each fighter is trading throughout the fight on the south lawn on the White House.

Great first round between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. Both fighters threw and landed heavy combinations to the joy of the crowd, who gave them a standing ovation at the end of the round. It’s anyone’s fight at this point.

About four hours after this card began on the south lawn of the White House, the main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje has begun. This is another title fight, so it is also scheduled to go five rounds.

As Gaethje made his way to the Octagon, the camera captured many of the Trump changes to the White House. A new mirror, signage outside the Oval, the paved rose garden, the portrait row, the new pavers on the colonnade walk -- and finishing at the most dramatic (temporary) addition: "The Claw" and the Octagon.

It’s finally here, the main event of the night. 

Topuria, of Spain, is the UFC lightweight champion and former featherweight titleholder. He ranks No. 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings behind only Islam Makhachev. Topuria (17-0) isn’t the biggest fighter but he makes up for it with speed and power in his fists. He’s won his last three bouts by early finish against former champions in Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovaski. 

Gaethje, nicknamed “The Highlight,” is just that. Now a veteran at 37, he's never in a boring fight. He’s a kill-or-be killed type of fighter where he’ll die on his own shield. Gaethje is fine risking a knockout to knock you out, and that could happen tonight on a massive stage. He’s a winner in his last two against Paddy Pimblett and Rafael Fiziev.

Grand Foyer, Green Room, Red Room, Diplomatic Reception Room, Palm Room ... these are the many formal and historic spaces of the White House we’ve seen fighters walk through to get to the South Lawn. It is quite notable just how much of the White House is being incorporated into this spectacle.

Also President Trump and Dana White walked out of the Oval Office, for their entrance at the beginning of the evening.

Ed Mulholland / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Brady and Matthew Tkachuck, the brothers who were part of the gold-medal-winning U.S. hockey team at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, were shown on the broadcast in attendance on the South Lawn. They brought their gold medals with them.

Ciryl Gane appeared to finish off Alex Pereira early in the second round with a right-hand jab, followed by a number of elbows to the back of Pereira's head, only for Pereira to somehow get back to his feet and be given extra time to try to recover. But his comeback lasted less than 30 seconds, before Gane knocked him out for good.

The crowd here at UFC 250 was almost too stunned to speak after Ciryl Gane finished Alex Pereira just now. There was like 5 seconds of awkward silence before the music came on.

The U.S. Marine Corps Band is performing as the official music-maker at the event, and people seem presently surprised. The band reprised its customary rendition of "Hail to Chief" early in the evening, as President Trump and UFC's Dana White walked from the White House to the octagon outside.

Cooper Neill / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

It also performed a song more accustomed to DJs than big bands, one of Trump's favorites, the Village People's "YMCA."

Tony McDonald, general counsel for the Republican Party of Tarrant County, Texas, tweeted, "Marine Corp Band is stealing the show tonight. Incredible."

The band has also been performing walk--in music for the fighters. It surprised some folks apparently by performing fighter Diego Lopes' customary walk-out song, Los Tucanes de Tijuana's "La Chona."

As the clock strikes midnight, the crowd has thinned some here on the Ellipse, but there are still thousands of people here anxiously awaiting the main event tonight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

Bailey from Washington D.C is still here, up past her bedtime. She’s here with her mom, who is a UFC fan and won tickets in the UFC Freedom 250 Lottery.

“I’m learning all about it today,” Bailey said of UFC. 

Round 1 has begun. A reminder: This fight will go five rounds, because it's for the interim heavyweight belt. The other fights have been scheduled to go three rounds, though they have all ended before getting that far.

A B-1B Lancer Night Afterburner just flew over the UFC Freedom 250 fight from south to north over the White House complex. You couldn’t miss it — the orange glow lit up the sky, and booming sound of the afterburners shook the ground here on the Ellipse (and likely throughout Washington after 11 p.m. ET on a Sunday night!) 

This should be amazing. Pereira, the former light heavyweight and middleweight champion, is on his way to becoming one of the best fighters in UFC history. He’s won 10 of his 12 UFC fights and boasts wins over the likes of Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Jiří Procházka and Magomed Ankalaev. The latter he finished in the first round to claim the light heavyweight belt before vacating it in April to move up to heavyweight. 

Gane, though, might be unlike anyone he’s fought before. The Frenchman (13-2-1) is 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds, bigger than most opponents Pereira has taken on prior. A former interim heavyweight champion, Gane won two in a row before taking a “no contest” for accidentally eye poking his opponent, rendering him unable to continue. 

To end his bantamweight victory over Aiemann Zahabi of Canada, American Sean O'Malley called UFC boss Dana White a "gangster," in a complimentary way, then made his way through the crowd to say hello to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

After a mostly action-less fight that got the crowd restless, Sean O’Malley knocked out Aiemann Zahabi in the second round. A straight left put Zahabi on the mat and O’Malley followed with a straight right before the referee stepped in. As fell to the mat, O’Malley saluted the crowd. Then he hopped over the cage and shook President Trump’s hand.

Chris Graythen / Getty Images

The crowd at the UFC Freedom 250 event sang to Trump earlier in the evening. Today is his 80th birthday.

Crowd at UFC Freedom 250 sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to Trump

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The crowd is booing Aiemann Zahabi, a fighter from Canada. Loud cheers now for American Sean O’Malley. Before the fight begins, the crowd also started chanting, "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

O’Malley, one of the most popular fighters in the UFC, entered the sport with incredible hype. He earned a spot on the UFC roster with a viral knockout on “Dana White’s Contender’s Series” in 2017 and then won his next four fights. Now he’s 19-3-1 as a professional, O’Malley is still a top contender but has lost a bit of that buzz considering he hasn’t had a finish since 2023.

Zahabi (14-2), meanwhile, is on a hot streak. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has won seven in a row. He’s coming off an impressive split decision win against Marlon Vera — but like O’Malley has also gone the distance four straight times. Will one of these fighters finally end a bout before the final round ends? 

Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff embraced each other on the South Lawn, as the UFC event unfolds. The two were key players in getting an Iran deal across the finish line.

The two countries reached an agreement today, Trump and Iranian state-affiliated media said today. A signing is set to take place Friday, though Vance said in an interview with Fox News earlier today that the logistics are still being worked out.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Several members of the Trump administration are at the White House for the fight card.

Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr posted a video of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the event, alongside “fired up troops.”

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

White House Communications Director posted a video of the cage, captioned “IT’S TIME!” and a handshake emoji tagging the UFC and White House X accounts. Cheung was formerly communications director for the UFC.

Trump aide Margo Martin also posted a video of the cage, with the White House in the background.

Derrick Lewis was knocked out by Josh Hokit in the second round of their match Sunday night. Hokit completely outclassed Lewis, who seemed slow and tired all fight. Hokit connected on a right hook that stumbled Lewis late in the second round and caused him to start wobbling. He then landed a combination that sent Lewis to the mat, before he was finished with additional punches. 

Hokit had won the heavyweight bout when he walked over to Trump's seat and presented the president a chain. Then, during an interview with Joe Rogan in the middle of the cage, Hokit ended his remarks with an insult of Michelle Obama.

"Michelle Obama is a man, am I right America?" Hokit said. The remark was received with a mixed response at The White House. At the fan event, the comment elicited some laughter and cheers.

Josh Hokit dominated the first round against Derrick Lewis and had an armbar attempt for the final 30 seconds. It looked as if it would be a quick night for “The Black Beast” but he held on and the crowd -- clearly pro Lewis -- went wild that he’ll be able to continue fighting.

This is the only fight of the night at this weight class.

Chris Unger / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

"This bout is proudly sponsored by Truth Social, the real voice of President Trump," the Octagon announcer said before the start of the Hokit vs. Lewis fight. "Download Truth Social today."

Earlier in the night, Trump Coin was mentioned as the sponsor responsible for the closed captioning on tonight's broadcast.

Here come the big boys. 

Heavyweight Hokit, a former football player who went undrafted but spent time with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent, was an All-American wrestler in college before transitioning to MMA. He’s 9-0 as a professional and most recently defeated longtime title challenger Curtis Blaydes via unanimous decision in April. 

He faces fan-favorite Derrick Lewis in a matter of moments. Lewis (29-13-1), a 41-year old nicknamed “The Black Beast,” holds the record for most finishes in the heavyweight division and most knockouts in UFC history with 16. He’s won two of his last three.

UFC fighters often win bonuses for awards like "fight of the night" and "performance of the night." Tonight, some of them could walk away with a hefty bonus paid out in crypto tied to the Trump family.

The UFC said Friday that part of those bonuses will be paid in USD1, the crypto stablecoin promoted by World Liberty Financial.

The Trump family launched World Liberty Financial in 2024 in a bid to capitalize on the surging crypto market. The company has been a windfall for the president while some at least one major investor has sued it over allegations that they were misled.

USD1 is what's known as a stablecoin, a type of crypto token that has a value tied to a specific asset, in this was the U.S. dollar.

After Brazil's Mauricio Ruffy won by TKO in the first round to end the night's third fight, he thanked organizers, credited his faith and said that he wants to be the champion in his division.

But then, capitalizing on the spectacle of the moment, he asked his partner who was sitting in the crowd to marry him, offering a proposal through his interpreter, during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, made public for the world to hear. Rogan said that Ruffy's partner had given the "thumb's up."

Towards the end of the first round, a small group yelled “Ruffy! Ruffy! Ruffy!” for Brazilian Mauricio Ruffy. It was quickly drowned out by “U-S-A. U-S-A. U-S-A.”

Unfortunately for the latter their fighter, American Michael Chandler, was brutally knocked out moments later. Ruffy stunned Chandler with a spinning back kick then landed a short right that dropped his opponent. He then destroyed Chandler with another right that forced the referee to step in.

Fighters are making cinematic entrances out of the White House and into the octagon, flanked by first responders and veterans, even including a Medal of Honor recipient.

Michael Chandler walking toward the Octagon on Sunday night. Chris Unger / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A soldier standing at attention in the White House during the event on the South Lawn. Ed Mulholland / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Mauricio Ruffy was accompanied by Arlington first responder Trevor Burrell and Medal of Honor recipient Gen. Patrick Brady, according to the UFC.

Steve Garcia flanked by officials before his middleweight fight on Sunday night. Ed Mulholland / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

This is the third fight of the night, and the second in the lightweight category. Ruffy has a 75-inch reach, which is 3.5 inches longer than Chandler's. Chandler is from Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

In between fights, promotions for the military have been displayed on the big screens. There was a dramatic video with a voiceover from President Trump that ended with him saying “Join. The. Fight.” A moment ago, the song “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played while the PA announcer thanked the troops.

I spent some time chatting with fans watching the UFC during a commercial break — because don’t you dare interrupt during a bout. These people are serious fans! 

Evan Hitchcock traveled with a friend from West Virginia to be here tonight. “It feels pretty surreal,” he said. “It feels pretty American.” 

Nicole Grove from Iowa told me she’s been a fan since UFC announcer Bruce Buffer had black hair. “So it’s been a little bit,” she said. 

She said she wanted to be here because it’s a “once in a lifetime experience.” 

While some fans are packed in a music festival-like atmosphere against the main stage, others have found an empty patch of grass and are enjoying the screens from afar.

Former unified heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury just made his way down from the Oval Office while Kings of Leon’s “Sex On Fire” played. The Brit is wearing a hat that has both the England and American flags and the words, “Donald Trump for Prime Minister.” He's apparently here in connection to a forthcoming announcement with Dana White.

Eric Trump has denied that he messaged UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier asking for insider information on tonight’s fights.

Earlier tonight, Cormier's X account shared (and quickly deleted) a post that included what appeared to be screenshots a DM exchange with Eric Trump. In it, Trump appeared to ask Cormier for his predictions — including whether he’s placing any bets, whether any fighters are injured, and whether any of the fights are rigged.

The message exchange was deleted within minutes, but not before internet users screenshotted and circulated the post online. Trump called the alleged interaction “fake” and “AI generated.”

“I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated,” Eric Trump wrote on X.

Kimberly Benza, director of executive operations and communications at The Trump Organization, repeated Trump's claims in an email to NBC News. She added that it "appears that Daniel’s account has been hacked."

Cormier, who is calling tonight's fights, also appeared to downplay the deleted post. "Are people really this dumb?" his X account posted after the screenshots spread.

NBC News has reached out to a representative for Cormier for comment.

If you’re looking for an underrated candidate for Fight of the Night, this is it.

Don’t let five losses in his last six bouts scare you. Chandler, the former longtime Bellator lightweight champion, is a fan favorite in the UFC for his brash personality outside the cage and electrifying fights inside it. He’s non-stop action and rarely in a boring fight. Win or lose he will have the crowd on their feet. His front kick knockout of Tony Ferguson is a prime example. He also has a great backstory as a former walkon at Missouri turned MMA star. 

Though his opponent is as well known, Ruffy is incredibly dangerous. The Brazilian reached the UFC in 2023 and has won four of his five matchups, most recently a devastating knockout of Rafael Fiziev in April. Expect fireworks. 

Speaking to Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview, the victorious Bo Nickal called the fight on the White House's lawn "unbelievable."

He went on to call President Trump a "special person" for his willingness — Nickal chose a more, ahem, colorful descriptor — "to do something like this, and I have so much respect for him. I've had that for a long time, and I'm just grateful to be here, grateful to be a part of it."

Chris Unger / Zuffa LLC via Getty

Bo Nickal landed a left hook followed by a short right that dropped Kyle Daukaus to the mat midway through Round 1. He jumped on his opponent and continued to rain down blows before the referee put a stop to the fight. Immediately after he hopped the cage and went to see President Trump. They shook hands and exchanged words while Trump’s hair flew in the air as the winds have picked up.

“First in foremost got to thank President Trump for making this happen," Nickal said in his post-fight interview. "... This is unbelievable.”

To chants of "U-S-A," Bo Nickal quickly won by knockout over Kyle Daukaus. Nickal hopped down from celebrating atop the top of the cage to speak with President Trump, who stood up to have a word with the winning fighter. Nickal and Trump spoke for a bit, their right hands clasped together.

I went to shoot a quick video and a man was standing on the side of the row. I asked him who he was with and he said "Secret Service."

And Round 1 starts with a huge takedown by Nickal.

It's the second fight of the night, but it hasn't gotten any more familiar to see two fighters emerge from the White House, onto its South Lawn for a fight.

Daukaus comes in with a six-fight win streak. Nickal is an interesting figure, having come to UFC after winning three NCAA wrestling championships.

Nickal joined the UFC in 2022 after one of the best college wrestling careers in history. While at Penn State, he was a three-time Division I champion and later won the U23 world championship. He began his career with a bang, winning his first six fights by finish. After dropping his first fight in May 2025, Nickal (8-1) bounced back last November with a brutal head-kick knockout of Rodolfo Vieira. 

While Nickal is an expert on the ground, so is his opponent. Daukaus is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt nicknamed “The D’Arce Knight” for his ability to land that particular choke on his foes. Daukaus (17-4) has won his last six fights, most recently a submission against Gerald Meerschaert last November. 

There are more than 20,000 UFC fans on the Ellipse of the White House, and nearly all of them went wild when Diego Lopes took down Steve Garcia in the second round of the first fight.

Jumping up and down, screaming at the top of their lungs, it is a party atmosphere here. After waiting months for this fight, folks are laser focused on the massive screens built on the Ellipse. 

Tom Brenner / Getty Images

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Diego Lopes just defeated Steve Garcia after a brutal back-and-forth slugfest in the second round of their UFC fight. He dropped him with a left hook and pounced for more before the referee stepped in. After the win, Lopes put on his trademark cowboy hat and hopped up on the ring to celebrate with his crowd. He beat his chest on a few feet above President Trump, who smiled and applauded cageside.

Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland filmed himself getting mobbed by fans as he snuck into the Fan Fest and entered a WWE ring, causing cheers to erupt around him.

Other videos online appeared to show him being escorted by security out of the Fan Fest, still trailed by fans. Strickland himself later posted a photo of himself leaving surrounded by police.

Kevin Dietsch / Pool/AFP via Getty Images

"Sorry you guys.. We almost made it!!!" he wrote in his caption. "I promise one day we will set up a circle and box 👊 🇺🇸 Thanks for your support"

More than a week ago, Strickland claimed in social media comments that he was banned from the UFC fight at the White House because he “made fun of Israel and epstein....”

“But when you make fun of the leaders of America they tend to be a little petty lol by leaders i mean Israel,” Strickland wrote in the comments of a UFC Instagram post.

Dana White responded last week, telling press that Strickland was not banned from tonight’s event.

After a first round where Steve Garcia seemed to land more punches and Lopes looked hesitant, Lopes won the bout in the second round by knockout, with a furious combination of punches, starting with a right and left hand to Garcia's face. Garcia celebrated by donning a black cowboy hat and climbing atop the octagon cage.

The first fight has begun. The crowd is already oohing and ahhing as the fighters trade blows.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The first fight of the night is about to begin, between Steve Garcia (19-5) of the U.S. and Diego Lopes (27-8) of Brazil. Bruce Buffer, the iconic fight announcer, is calling out the fighters to the audience.

The camera zoomed in on two uniformed military members who then parted and made space for Garcia to emerge from the White House. He had an American flag over his shoulders, as he walked to the Octagon.

The crowd had a tepid reaction to Garcia, judging by what we saw on the telecast. After a delayed start, the first match of the night appears to be moments away.

Garcia, 34, is one of the hottest fighters in the sport right now, having won seven straight bouts that dates back to October 2022. Training out of the legendary JacksonWink gym in Albuquerque, N.M., Garcia has 19 wins with 15 coming via knockout. It happened in his most recent fight, a first-round TKO against David Onama in November. 

He faces another tough veteran fighter in the 31-year-old Lopes (27-8). Though he’s lost two of his last three bouts, they have come against much stiffer competition than Garcia — both came to future UFC Hall of Famer and former champion Alexander Volkanovski. Garcia shouldn’t take him lightly as he has explosive power. Just watch what he did to Jean Silva last September.

There will be 14 fighters — eight Americans — on the card for seven fights beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount Plus. In the main event, Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria faces interim champion Justin Gaethje.

An Arizona native who trains out of Denver, Gaethje said he could not pass up this opportunity.

“We get to have an amazing event and celebrate the 250-year anniversary of our independence,” he told NBC News. “I know for a fact we were bigger underdogs than I am now, 250 years ago, and we’re still thriving today. So I’m trying to follow that lead and keep the same precedent going.”

UFC fighter Justin Gaethje looks on during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, D.C.  Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images file

The broadcast said that closed captioning for the event was brought to us by "TrumpCoins.com." The announcer added: "Limited quantities available now."

With President Trump and Dana White watching from the White House's south portico, the Zac Brown Band sang the national anthem. As the final bars were sung, a formation of fighter jets from the Navy's Blue Angels and Air Force's Thunderbirds flew overhead to the delight of White, who smiled broadly as Trump saluted.

Afterward, a smattering of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chants broke out.

The president walked alongside the UFC promoter to begin the pre-match show. Dana White smiled throughout the walk, while Trump wore a more stoic expression.

Trump and Dana White walk out together to kick off UFC Freedom 250

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White stumped for Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, saying he “will always be grateful, so grateful to him for standing with us in those early days. So tonight I stand with Donald Trump.”

He also delivered remarks in support of Trump at the 2020 and 2024 RNC conventions and spoke after Trump’s election-night victory, calling his friend “the most resilient, hardworking man I’ve ever met in my life.”

White told The New Yorker last month that his speeches are not political and only praise for someone whom he’s known for more than two decades. Despite the optics, he described himself as a center-left Democrat. But his public words for Trump have helped the Republican gain ground with young men, a group that makes up a large percentage of UFC viewers.

Since his first term, Trump has attended seven UFC fight cards.

The broadcast introduction included shots of Washington, D.C. monuments and a monologue narrated by the actor Ron Perlman. When the pre-show started, the commentators were seated in the Green Room of the White House, another surreal detail on a day full of them.

The fights are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET. The whole schedule was delayed due to weather in the area. The top left corner of the screen reads "RAIN DELAY."

There’s plenty of fanfare and controversy surrounding the UFC Freedom 250 match set for today at the White House. NBC News’ Gary Grumbach takes a look at Trump’s ties to the UFC, along with a long line of presidents who also enjoyed a good fight.

How Trump’s UFC fight at White House is, in some ways, rooted in presidential history

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“The Claw,” a giant metal structure above the cage, is another sight never before seen on the White House grounds. Created by Stageco, a Belgian event staging company, it was shipped internationally to the rural Pennsylvania headquarters of UFC partner TAIT Towers. There, it was first assembled and modified — to the chagrin of nearby residents.

“Building in an empty parking lot certainly caught the attention of the neighborhood,” UFC executive producer Craig Borsari said.

Anne Lebreton / AFP via Getty Images

To understand how we got here, it’s important to understand how the UFC came to be. White, along with casino and resort executive brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, bought the nearly bankrupt fight promotion for only $2 million in January 2001. At the time, mixed martial arts was so controversial that then-Sen. John McCain famously called it “human cockfighting” and threatened to put it out of business.

President Donald Trump and UFC President and CEO Dana White in Miami, last year. Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC

Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, most states did not even regulate the sport. As a result, few venues were available for White to host fight cards. He turned to a casino owner named Donald Trump.

Less than two months after White acquired the UFC, it hosted its first two events at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. And thus was born the decadeslong friendship between a sports tycoon and the man who would become U.S. president.

When White needed help the most, Trump stepped in. As Trump began his career in politics, the favor was returned, and then some.

At the UFC Freedom 250 fan event, a weather alert message was just shown on two giant screens: “PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN THE AREA. BE PREPARED TO LEAVE THE EVENT AND SEEK APPROPRIATE SHELTER.”

Kevin Dietsch / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The UFC posted a photo the “locker room” for tonight’s fighters. This is the historic Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, frequently used for ceremonial purposes, including swearing ins of Supreme Court justices, cabinet officials, and formal receptions.

Hooverball Game on White House Lawn in 1933.  National Archives

The UFC matches to be held on the lawn of the White House on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday are sure to be a spectacle unseen in the history of the storied complex.

An event like UFC Freedom 250 is a first for the South Lawn, but sports, even exhibition matches, are not a totally foreign concept at the White House, although it was more modest.

President Warren G. Harding and his wife invited tennis champions from the U.S. and abroad for a tournament, and Jimmy Carter was known for vigorous jogs. George H.W. Bush played horseshoes, including showing off for Queen Elizabeth II, and Dwight D. Eisenhower built a putting green on the South Lawn. Barack Obama expanded the White House tennis courts to allow an alternate use of full-court basketball.

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When UFC executive producer Craig Borsari first heard that the company was going to host a mixed martial arts event at the White House, he thought his boss was joking.

“It wasn’t until a few days later when [Dana White] came into my office and said, ‘Hey, we have a call about that event at the White House,’ and I found out very quickly that it was real,” Borsari told NBC News about the fight card on the South Lawn.

On Sunday night, President Donald Trump, members of his Cabinet, hundreds of Trump allies and thousands of members of the military — as long as they pass a fitness test — will be steps away from the Oval Office as 14 of the world’s best UFC fighters descend on the grounds for a night of bouts.

The Defense Department is requiring members of the military to meet a certain body type criteria in order to attend the big Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House next month, according to two people familiar with the criteria and a Pentagon memo outlining the criteria that was reviewed by NBC News.

The memo, which was issued to branches of the military this week, states that service members who receive tickets to the big fighting event on the South Lawn must meet a waist-to-height ratio of less than 0.55, “as well as all service-specific physical fitness test requirements.”

Uniformed troops from commands around the world are eligible to request tickets, but the Pentagon will not cover their travel costs, according to the memo, which describes the fight as a “high visibility” event at on the White House South Lawn.

Per UFC PR, the broadcast will start at 8 p.m. and fights at 9 p.m., moving the schedule back an hour due to weather. As a reminder, the event is being held outdoors, though a large, open-air canopy was placed over the UFC octagon.

Chris Unger / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The U.S. Speaker of the House is now here. I'm told VP JD Vance has also arrived.

Overwhelmingly, the thousands of people here on the Ellipse for the UFC Freedom 250 fight are here because they’re huge UFC fans. They’re walking around with replica championship belts, and shirts with their favorite fighter on it. They’re sitting in the 90 degree Washington heat for hours. But it’s not to see Donald Trump.

Rey Del Rio / Zuffa LLC via Getty

For them, this isn’t about politics. It’s about watching a UFC fight in what they’ve told me they think is a “really cool” location. Is there a smattering of “Make America Great Again” hats, and Donald Trump apparel? Sure. But that’s not the focus of many of the attendees.

More than 30 years after UFC began, Grant Gibney of Illinois told me, “They’re fighting at the White House on the White House lawn. It’s incredible, despite all the politics.”

The President's son sent out an aerial-view video of the upcoming event.

Thunderstorms and high winds may be rolling into D.C. as tonight's fight kicks off. Residents attending outside events were advised by the city’s alert system to monitor weather conditions and seek shelter if lightning or strong winds develop.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Any norm and presumption of etiquette you thought existed within the hallowed White House grounds, consider it shattered this weekend.

Walking around the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, it was as if you entered a festival taking place anywhere around the country.

But look past the Monster Energy-branded main stage and you’ll see in the distance — past the motocross bikes doing jumps and flips-off of a ramp, and past the 600-ton, 92-foot “Claw” — there’s the Truman Balcony of the White House, where tonight UFC fighters will step in before heading down toward the South Lawn Octagon to fight until someone is knocked out.

Natalie Keyssar for NBC News

According to Craig Borsari, UFC executive producer, the U.S. President has been "involved at a high level."

“I mean, he’s been part of multiple conversations about the way we would pull off the event and some of the infrastructure that we’d be putting on the South Lawn, as well as on the Ellipse. … He certainly has input and comments.”

President Donald Trump attends UFC 314 on April 12, 2025, in Miami.  Miami Herald / Tribune News Service via Getty Images

More than 4,000 people will attend the fights on the South Lawn. About one-third of those tickets are going to active military personnel, while the White House and president have another third, and the UFC and its parent company TKO have a bit less than a third to distribute.

Approximately 115,000 fans, however, are set to watch on screens from across the street at the Ellipse, a 52-acre park just south of the White House, the UFC said.

There’s also a chance of rain in the area, something Craig Borsari, UFC executive producer, has been monitoring for weeks. The UFC has a meteorologist on site giving live updates so the promotion can plan properly.

Borsari said the only way fights won’t happen is if there is lightning within an 8-mile radius or if wind gusts exceed 35 mph. All of this is why the UFC has only hosted one card in history outdoors (Abu Dhabi in April 2010).