Trump, flyovers and bloody fights: What it was like inside UFC Freedom 250

Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria during the UFC fight on the White House South Lawn on Sunday.Natalie Keyssar for NBC NewsUFCTrump, flyovers and bloody fights: What it was like inside UFC Freedom 250More than 4,000 spectators — made up of Trump officials, VIPs like Mark Zuckerberg and active military members — were on the South Lawn of the White House for Sunday night’s event.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 15, 2026, 5:22 AM EDTBy Greg RosensteinWASHINGTON — Two presidents walked side by side as they made their way through the Oval Office and down to the South Lawn. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Crossing a red carpet adorned by red and blue stars atop a white border, America’s Donald Trump and the UFC’s Dana White soon arrived at a 30-foot cage where men were moments away from punching, kicking and choking each other until someone either went to sleep, tapped or a referee stepped in to stop it.And that was just the start of UFC Freedom 250. Add NBC News to GoogleTrump and Dana White walk out together to kick off UFC Freedom 25001:24The mixed martial arts extravaganza saw 14 fighters compete Sunday night underneath a 92-foot structure called “The Claw” that was set up just steps away from the most important office in the world.It was all to mark Trump’s 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary, a night of celebration for the president given added impetus by the announcement hours earlier of a tentative deal with Iran. Surrounding the octagon were more than 4,000 spectators that included members of Trump’s administration and special VIPs — including Mark Zuckerberg, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel and many others. When the national anthem was sung before the first fight of the night, a group of bomber planes buzzed overhead, drawing a rave response from the crowd.Trump sat cageside — to the right...