06/14/26 09:06:00
Printable Page
06/14 21:04 CDT Donald Trump turns 80 and celebrates with UFC cage fighting on
the White House lawn
Donald Trump turns 80 and celebrates with UFC cage fighting on the White House
lawn
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) --- Fueled by a dose of high-octane patriotism, President
Donald Trump and UFC boss Dana White walked out from the Oval Office to the
Blue Room Balcony to chants of "USA!" "USA!" as fighter jets streaked overhead
--- before they settled in for a night of cage fighting on the White House lawn.
A long-time fight fan with a 25-year professional relationship with White,
Trump turned 80 on Sunday and military members and political dignitaries
gathered on a blustery night on the South Lawn cheered when one fan yelled out
"happy birthday!" to start UFC Freedom 250.
Bo Nickal delivered the red, white and boom when the three-time NCAA Division I
wrestling champion at Penn State earned the TKO win over middleweight Kyle
Daukaus and immediately bolted the Octagon for a cageside chat with Trump.
Nickal met Trump in 2019 during a ceremony at the White House for collegiate
national champions.
Nickal thanked Trump for bringing UFC --- and the four-sided almost flying
saucer-type structure known as the claw that housed the cage --- to the White
House backyard normally the site of the more serene Easter Egg Roll.
"First and foremost, I have to thank President Trump for making this happen,"
Nickal said inside the cage. "This is unbelievable."
Diego Lopes walked out to the Mexican song "La Chona" and Steve Garcia walked
out of the White House draped in an American flag and accompanied by two police
officers to start the show that was delayed briefly by inclement weather. The
looming threats of rain never materialized over at least the first three fights.
Fans were as quiet for the start of the main card Sunday as they might be for
the preliminary fights held hours before a pay-per-view event in a normal fight
arena, such as Madison Square Garden. Closer to the Rose Garden, fans did come
alive when Lopes landed a flurry of punches to knock out Garcia in the second
round.
The show was steeped in pageantry and stands as an outlier among UFC events.
The Marine Band played from in front of the White House and Zac Brown sang the
national anthem --- which is never played before normal UFC fight cards because
of the mix of nationalities fighting inside the Octagon. The Navy's Blue Angels
and Air Force Thunderbirds zipped overhead as part of a flyover.
Bruce Buffer's voice thundered from the cage as always for fight introductions,
and his star-spangled threads fit the occasion: gold stars on the outside of
his suit coat and mini American flags stitched inside.
Hours after the United States and Iran reached an agreement to end the war and
open the Strait of Hormuz, offering relief to the global economy more than
three months since fighting began, the White House --- long known as the
people's house and a symbol of American democracy --- opened its backyard to
stage the fights.
More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured
into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park
Service, which oversees the South Lawn.
UFC is staging seven fights with all male fighters under the Freedom 250 banner
to celebrate Trump's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of
Independence's signing.
The rare UFC outdoors event marked the pinnacle of the relationship between
White and Trump that has yielded personal, political and financial dividends
for both parties. White's first card as UFC president came in 2001 at an event
held at Trump Taj Mahal.
Trump has attended four UFC cards as sitting president, walking to the cage
amid rock music and patriotic chants from fans much like the fighters
themselves. White introduced Trump at two Republican National Conventions.
Trump got a home game for this one, making the short walk from the Oval Office
to the Octagon, much like the fighters who were flanked by first responders and
medal of honor recipients, among others.
Alex Pereira of Brazil will meet Ciryl Gane of France for the interim UFC
heavyweight title. Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria then
takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje in the main event.
Thousands more outside the White House lawn watched the fights on big screens
from the nearby Ellipse, though not everyone was able to get tickets.
Even one of UFC's champions.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Ellipse event
by a group of police officers and taken into a Park Police van Sunday.
Once a vocal supporter of Trump, Strickland has recently said on social media
that he was not invited to participate in the event at the White House because
he is an outspoken critic of Israel.
Strickland was wearing a black anorak jacket and was barefoot. It wasn't
immediately clear why law enforcement led him away.
White has rejected Strickland's accusation that he was banned from UFC Freedom
250 events.
"Nobody is banned. Nothing is banned," White told reporters earlier this month.
___
AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts
|
