Sunday night on the South Lawn of the White House saw two very distinct types of action: the fighting taking place inside the cage, and the corporate politics taking place outside it.
Inside the UFC octagon, mixed martial artists punched and kicked each other, resulting in stunning knockouts from the likes of Sean O’Malley and Justin Gaethje.
But just outside the cage, President Trump took office, as a stream of tech giants, media moguls and other powerful players sought a few minutes of his time (and perhaps to wish him a happy 80th birthday). Hollywood Reporter He was present at these proceedings, a high-level and low-level fusion of capitalism, politics, and the assets of American government unlike anything before.
The event was UFC Freedom 250, a $60 million made-for-TV spectacle sparked by a suggestion from Trump, and carried out by his friend, UFC CEO Dana White. White and Trump sat cageside, right next to WME CEO and TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, who was immediately greeted by Trump when he took his seat at the start of the night.
Emanuel and White served as VIP sponsors at times, bringing in VIPs to speak with Trump when the action was quiet in the Octagon and commercials were streaming for viewers on television.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was one of them THR Spotted huddled with Trump and White. Twenty-four hours after the New York Knicks won the NBA championship, Knicks owner (and ambassador mogul) Jim Dolan was also in attendance, where Trump was seen offering him well wishes from his seat. Joe Rogan, popular podcaster and UFC commentator, used a commercial break to walk around the cage and chat with Trump.
Nearby, Paramount CEO David Ellison was seen smiling in the front row, where he was joined by Cindy Holland, Paramount’s head of streaming. Ellison had reason to be happy: Days earlier, Trump’s Justice Department had formally approved its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery was valued at $111 billion, and Paramount+ had exclusive rights to a UFC event at the White House, which executives at both companies were betting would be a hit for viewership and new subscribers.
TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro was there, and comedians Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe were seen in the audience, as well as sports stars such as soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, boxer Terence Crawford and WWE stars Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Roman Reigns. The entire White House Cabinet was there, with the likes of Scott Besent, Marco Rubio, Markwayne Mullen, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Sean Duffy and others, all walking past the press corps gathered in the James Brady briefing room in the hours before the event began.
The massive “claw” assembled on the South Lawn served as a stage and seating for a few thousand attendees, as the President’s “President’s Own” US Marine Band played live music throughout the night.
There were two military overflights: a group of fighter jets to start the event, and a B-2 stealth bomber during the evening. Fireworks displays over the Washington Monument included critical moments such as the introduction to the final game of the evening, and after the event ended at 1:18 a.m.
The fighters walked into the Octagon from various rooms of the White House (including the Oval Office) to the Truman Balcony, making dramatic entrances. The audience, made up of boisterous active-duty military members in uniform and invited guests from Trump, the UFC and TKO, wore suits largely to impress, lending a formal tone to the affair.
But there were also confusing moments that affected the seriousness of the event (even for an event centered around hand-to-hand combat). A post-match interview with fighter Josh Hockett ended with him declaring, “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” To a mixture of groans and laughter from the audience. THR He couldn’t see Trump’s reaction to the comment.
After the first fight, a Bud Light commercial played on the screens, a commercial moment that no one thought twice about in Madison Square Garden but was jarring on the White House grounds. UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer also called out sponsors before big matches, like Crypto.com and Ram Trucks (“Nothing stops Ram!” Buffer declared at one point).
In fact, the entire night was a collision course between pop culture, politics, and sports entertainment. During breaks between games, videos (including some that look like they may have been produced with the help of artificial intelligence) have gone viral telling America’s history in the makeshift arena, including one narrated by Paramount star Cole Hauser. Dutton Farm. The Marine Band played the theme song “He’s a Pirate” from The Marine Band Pirates of the Caribbean Movie franchise, before introductions to each game.
However, there was a real chance that night would not happen at all. Severe thunderstorms were expected, threatening to delay or disrupt the event.
The assembled press group, consisting of White House correspondents and UFC-certified journalists, spent most of the afternoon holed up in Brady’s briefing room, with call time going back and forth to the arena. The vending machines in the press kitchen emptied, and soon went some “all-American” cheeseburgers, hot dogs and fries provided by the UFC.
Most members of the Cabinet were seen walking toward the Palm Room, either from the West Wing or the entrance to the White House complex, as well as Vice President J.D. Vance, who was seen walking quickly toward the Oval Office shortly before Trump announced the signing of an agreement with Iran to end hostilities.
When it became clear that the severe weather would be absent from the capital, reporters were rushed to the Palm Room, next to the West Wing columns outside the Oval Office, and to the plaza, where there was a chaotic scene as thousands of guests scrambled to find their seats once the event was over.
As guests filed into the makeshift venue, the U.S. Marine Corps Band played AC/DC’s classic “Thunderstruck.” But there was no thunder in the sky all night.
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