Additional Coverage:
During Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House grounds, one spectator found the choice of music rather unexpected. As the crowd gathered, Ma$e’s hit “Feel So Good,” featuring Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, blared over the speakers-prompting a flurry of reactions online.
An X user commented, “Let me say this, playing Puff Daddy/Diddy at this UFC event at the White House is quite a decision,” sharing a video that captured the mostly male crowd dancing to the track. While one woman was visible, the audience was predominantly male, which did not go unnoticed by viewers.
The UFC event was part of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary and also marked President Trump’s 80th birthday. The occasion drew attention not only for the fights but also because of a recent lawsuit filed against Diddy, accusing him of assaulting a former child actor. A spokesperson for Combs dismissed the allegations, calling them baseless and part of a pattern of opportunistic claims encouraged by personal injury lawyers.
Weather delayed the pre-fight program to 8 PM, pushing the fights to a 9 PM start. Streaming on Paramount Plus, the event had notable attendees including billionaire David Ellison, an ally of President Trump. Ellison and Trump had previously attended a UFC match together in Miami.
The fight card featured a range of matchups: featherweights Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia, middleweights Bo Nickal vs.
Kyle Daukaus, lightweights Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler, heavyweights Josh Hokit vs.
Derrick Lewis, and bantamweights Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi.
Additionally, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane battled for the interim heavyweight title, while Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje fought for the lightweight crown.
UFC President Dana White, who shares a close relationship with the President, praised the event, calling it “a one-of-one, incredible event” during a Friday night gathering at the Lincoln Memorial. White also revealed that the event incurred a $700,000 cost to restore the South Lawn’s grass, highlighting the challenges involved in hosting such a high-profile fight on White House grounds.
Art Davie, UFC’s founder and a former classmate of Trump’s at the New York Military Academy, criticized the President’s idea of making the octagonal fighting arena-dubbed “The Claw”-a permanent fixture on the South Lawn. Davie described the notion as “crazy,” suggesting Trump has a penchant for grand gestures to emphasize his achievements.
In a TikTok video, President Trump likened the octagon to iconic landmarks like France’s Eiffel Tower and hinted that it might remain indefinitely, saying, “maybe we’ll never ever take it down.”