Lightning tore across the evening sky as the first two fighters walked into the ring on the South Lawn — but the first ever professional sporting event at the White House went ahead despite thunderstorms that delayed the action by an hour.
About 4,300 people gathered for the invite-only UFC Freedom 250 event, which coincided with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and Flag Day, part of celebrations for America's 250th anniversary. The crowd sang happy birthday as Trump walked from the White House to the arena alongside UFC chief executive Dana White, with military planes flying overhead.
“Lightning delayed the first UFC fight at the White House on Trump's 80th birthday, as officials fear Situation Room recordings were leaked.”
A severe thunderstorm watch had been in effect for Washington and surrounding states until 11 p.m. local time, with forecasters warning of possible hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph. The White House rapid response team had declared the event would continue "rain or shine."
Trump was seated directly next to the octagon, near White and several family members, including first lady Melania Trump and his sons Donald Jr., Eric and Barron. FBI Director Kash Patel was spotted cheering loudly from his seat. Other administration figures present included Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was seen speaking with troops.
The UFC spent about $60m (£45m) on the event, including $700,000 for grass repairs afterwards. The centrepiece was a 92ft high metal structure called the Claw, weighing 600 tonnes, which Trump compared to the Eiffel Tower. The seven-bout card ended with a main fight between Georgian-Spanish lightweight Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje.
Brazilian fighter Diego Lopes, the first to win on the lawn, said: "This is incredible." Bo Nickal, who knocked out Kyle Daukaus, thanked Trump: "It takes such a special person to have the balls to do something like this."
But even as the fights unfolded, alarm was growing inside the West Wing over reported leaks. According to Axios, top White House officials believe secret recordings may have been made of conversations between Trump's top aides in the Situation Room — one of the most secure places on Earth. "We're afraid some of our most sensitive conversations were being recorded," an administration source told Axios. "And we have no idea which ones."
The fears centre on the upcoming book "Regime Change" by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, which contains details from a July 2025 Situation Room meeting chaired by Vice President JD Vance about the Justice Department's decision to halt releases from the Jeffrey Epstein case files. If confirmed, it would be the first known case of unauthorised recordings from that room being leaked to the media.
The White House did not immediately comment. The leaks threat comes as Trump pushes for a peace agreement with Iran, urging Israel not to jeopardise talks after new Israeli strikes on Beirut. "This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let's not blow it!" he wrote on Truth Social.