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By Marni Rose McFall
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UFC Freedom 250 was the first-ever professional sporting event to be hosted at the White House. Seven fights took place on a makeshift arena called The Claw built on the South Lawn of the presidential residence, and President Donald Trump predicted the event, which took place on his 80th birthday, would be "the greatest show on earth.”
The event was held at the beginning of a monthlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday and had been the subject of scrutiny. More than seven federal agencies, hundreds of staff and at least $60 million went in to making the event a success, per The Associated Press.
In a post on Truth Social after the event, Trump wrote “The UFC at the White House last night was incredible.”
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“The White House has never looked more beautiful. The setting was unsurpassed! Congratulations to Dana White, and his unbelievable UFC. One of the most exciting days in the History of our fabled White House!”
And the spectacle was filled with some wild moments, from Justin Gaethje pulling off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history and Josh Hokit calling former First Lady Michelle Obama a man on live television to middleweight champion Sean Strickland being removed by authorities from a UFC White House fan festival event.
And, in an unprecedented moment, Trump and White walked out of the Oval Office together to begin the event.
Newsweek breaks down the four wildest moments from the night.
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Donald Trump and Dana White Walking out together from the Oval Office
The UFC White House event got underway with an extended entrance from Trump and White, his longtime ally.
The two walked from the Oval Office and down the colonnade before appearing on the Truman Balcony. The announcer then welcomed Trump and said, “Welcome to UFC Freedom 250. Here is the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump.”
As they stood on the balcony, someone in the crowd shouted, “Happy Birthday!”, which was met with applause.
The two then made their way down to the cage, following a performance of the National Anthem.
The Oval Office is an iconic room, thanks to its huge political significance. It has been cemented into popular culture, having been recreated for various movies, skits and television shows.
Trump has repeatedly used the Oval Office as a platform to promote major sporting events — from bringing UFC fighters in to hype his White House bout, to hosting FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and announcing the NFL draft’s move to Washington.
But this marks the first time it was used as an integral part of a live sporting event.
Justin Gaethje’s Huge Upset
Gaethje, 37, came into his game against Ilia Topuria as an underdog. A six-to-one underdog, to be precise.
But he shrugged off his status at the end of the fourth round, becoming an undisputed champion for the first time and marking Topuria’s first defeat in his 18-fight career.
Before the fight, Gaethje compared his status as an underdog to that of those who once fought for America’s independence. “I’m from America, 250 years ago we were way bigger than 6-1 dogs, and look at us thriving now.”
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Both fighters delivered brutal strikes. After, Gaethje admitted he was badly hurt.
“That guy had me in trouble,” he said. “He smoked my liver. But I stuck in it.”
His victory cements his status as one of the most exciting players in the sport.
After his victory, the podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan said his victory was “one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.”
Gaethje then did a backflip from the top of the cage before shaking hands with the president.
Josh Hokit Calling Michelle Obama A Man
Heavyweight Hokit defeated Derrick Lewis on Sunday by a technical knockout.
That win, though, has been a footnote in the headlines, as after the match, Hokit ended his interview with Rogan by repeating a false claim about former first lady Michelle Obama. “Michelle Obama is a man, am I right, America?" he said.
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Those remarks have immediately drawn backlash. The claim is false and has circulated for years as an unfounded conspiracy theory targeting the former first lady.
It is not the first time that he has repeated such claims, having made similar comments at the close of a match in 2025.
Sean Strickland Being Escorted Away
The UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland, was removed by authorities from a UFC White House fan festival event after previously having claimed that he had been barred from attending the UFC Freedom 250 event taking place at the White House.
In a post on X, Strickland shared an image of himself being escorted by numerous authorities away from what appears to be the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest on The Ellipse.
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His post included an American flag, followed by the text, “Best fans in the world!”
The U.S. Park Police previously told Newsweek in a statement, “At approximately 7 pm, the U.S. Park Police received report of a disturbance within the UFC event. The unplanned presence of Sean Strickland drew significant attention from attendees, resulting in disorder. Due to concerns for Strickland’s safety and the safety of event patrons, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police, and other assisting agencies evacuated him safely from the area."
Update 06/15/26, 08:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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