President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, UFC President and CEO Dana White and other guests stand inside the octagon after UFC Freedom 250 at the White House -

AP Photo

Last updated: 7 hours ago

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday by hailing an initial agreement to end the war in Iran and playing host to a UFC fight night on the White House’s storied South lawn.

The Republican president sought to tie Sunday’s event to larger, monthslong celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump walked out with UFC boss Dana White from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to survey the temporary spaceship-like metal arch towering the octagon, named “The Claw”.

More than 4,000 spectators were invited to watch the fight night from the site, including big names like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while thousands more were able to view the event from large screens from a nearby Ellipse.

The event forced G7 leaders to push back their get-together in the French town of Evian so Trump could attend without missing a staple in his birthday bash.

The weekend wasn’t all smiles for the US president, however, as crews pried his name off the Kennedy Center after a court ruled that naming it after him had gone too far.

Before the fight began, two-time UFC champion Sean Strickland, who is an outspoken critic of Israel, was escorted out of the Ellipse by a crowd of law enforcement officers.

The celebrations were vastly different from Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, who also celebrated his 80th birthday while in office, but nowhere near as extravagantly.

Asked about the contrast, White House Spokesperson Allison Schuster defended the event calling it “one of the most entertaining nights in American history”.

Additional sources • AP

Trump hosts UFC fight night at White House for his 80th birthday

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