{"id":461,"date":"2026-06-16T16:06:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northcarolinamovingjournal.com\/?p=461"},"modified":"2026-06-16T16:06:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:06:02","slug":"bloody-ufc-cage-match-on-white-house-lawn-marks-trumps-80th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northcarolinamovingjournal.com\/?p=461","title":{"rendered":"Bloody UFC cage match on White House lawn marks Trump\u2019s 80th birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON \u2014 President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday cageside at a multimillion-dollar bloody mixed martial arts event staged on the White House South Lawn, punctuated by fighter jet flyovers, a live military band and fireworks to mark the country\u2019s 250th anniversary.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Q&A: What Deborah Ross saw inside the ICE processing facility in Cary<\/a><\/p>\n

It also included the airing of a conspiracy theory about a former first lady, Michelle Obama, during post-fight comments by one of the contestants.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0spectacle promoted by the Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship, billed as Freedom 250, was exclusively shown on the paid subscription platform Paramount+.\u00a0The Trump-organized event was not affiliated with the national nonpartisan organization America 250, a commission created by Congress.<\/p>\n

Aside from a blood sport taking place in the backyard of the White House, the night served as a first for several other extraordinary sights. That included live pre-fight sports commentary from inside the White House, and fighters warming up in offices-turned-lockerrooms at the neighboring Eisenhower Executive Office Building.<\/p>\n

VIPs, including members of Congress and tech giants, sat under the lights in the temporary arena able to hold up to 4,300 guests. Tens of thousands of UFC fans crowded the Ellipse, where the fights were displayed on two mammoth screens.<\/p>\n

The event reportedly cost $60 million, according to a government court\u00a0. VIP sponsorship packages, including a chance to sit cage-side under \u201cthe claw\u201d cost up to the widely reported price tag of $1.5 million.<\/p>\n

Between praise for the American military and Jesus Christ, fighters delivered insulting and expletive-laden comments from inside \u201cthe Octagon.\u201d Two American fighters, Bo Nikal and Josh Hokit, thanked Trump for having \u201cthe balls\u201d to host the event at the White House.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hokit, a former NFL player, during his live post-fight comments to massively popular podcast host Joe Rogan, insulted Brazilian fighter Alex Pereira\u2019s mother and then repeated a right-wing conspiracy theory claiming former first lady Michelle Obama is \u201ca man.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Josh Hokit gifts @POTUS his chain ??? pic.twitter.com\/506ZwmKavg<\/p>\n

\u2014 Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) June 15, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rogan did not challenge the comment. Shortly after his remark, Hokit placed his victory chain around Trump\u2019s neck and the two shook hands. The moment was captured and\u00a0posted on social media by White House special assistant Margo Martin.<\/p>\n

The official UFC YouTube\u00a0clip of the California heavyweight\u2019s speech does not include his unfounded insult of Obama.<\/p>\n

Bright lights and flyovers<\/h4>\n

Spotlights from the UFC\u2019s 92-foot steel canopy that dwarfed the White House and towered over \u201cthe Octagon\u201d cage could be seen in the night sky from neighborhoods around Washington, D.C., and several residents took to social media to complain that a B-1 bomber flyover at 11:30 p.m. Eastern woke them. Fireworks exploded until nearly 1:30 a.m.<\/p>\n

Drinks in hand, U.S. service members in short-sleeve dress uniforms celebrated from the seats \u2014 several sailors even taking part in the \u201cYMCA\u201d dance during the Marine Corps band\u2019s live cover of the Village People\u2019s 1978 hit, a staple at Trump\u2019s events.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump and UFC CEO Dana White entered the arena just before 8:30 p.m. Shortly after, a dozen fighter jets, in a joint \u201cSuper Delta\u201d formation performed by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels, flew overhead during the national anthem, performed by country music star Zac Brown.<\/p>\n

Trump sat just below the fighting cage between first lady Melania Trump and White, an ally who has delivered primetime addresses in support of Trump at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions.<\/p>\n

Corporate logos abound on White House grounds in prep for fights by Trump-allied UFC<\/p><\/blockquote>\n