Trump and thousands of others watch UFC fight on White House lawn

US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th and America's 250th birthday with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the White House lawn.

Trump and thousands of other mixed martial arts fans watched on as American fighter Justin Gaethje beat Spanish-Georgian opponent Ilia Topuria to win the lightweight championship in the main event.

The fight night - the first ever professional sporting event held at the presidential residence - was delayed by an hour amid fears of thunderstorms.

Other administration officials were in attendance, along with UFC chief Dana White, Trump's longstanding friend. At one point in the evening, the crowd sang happy birthday to the president.

An estimated 4,300 people were present for the invite-only event on the South Lawn - and another 85,000 were expected to watch at a nearby fan zone.

The night opened with Trump walking from the White House to the arena alongside White. Military planes then flew overhead.

A total of 14 fighters then competed in back-to-back fights, culminating in the main bout between Gaethje and Topuria.

The fighters were escorted onto the stage by winners of the Medal of Honor - the highest award for battlefield actions - and first responders.

They began their walkouts in the Oval Office, where Gaethje took a close look at a framed copy of the Declaration of Independence on the wall before his long walk to the arena, draped in a Stars and Stripes flag.

Some of the fighters acknowledged the uniqueness of the venue on stage.

"This is incredible," said Brazilian fighter Diego Lopes, the first man to win on the lawn.

Most thanked the president and God. In a surprising set of remarks, heavyweight Josh Hokit hit out at former first lady with a false insult that has since drawn sharp criticism. "Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?" he said.

The UFC spent about $60m (£45m) on the event, including $700,000 for grass repairs afterwards on a lawn that hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll.

The centrepiece of the drama was the Claw - a metal structure 92ft (28m) high, weighing 600 tonnes, that loomed over the Octagon - in which the fights happened.

But at one point, the plans appeared to be imperilled by the thundery forecast, which caused a one-hour delay to the action.

Trump was seated directly next to the Octagon, near White and several members of the Trump family. Both his sons were in attendance. Other administration figures present included FBI Director Kash Patel, who was cheering loudly from his seat.

Among the other notable guests was British boxer Tyson Fury, who wore a Union Jack hat that said "Donald Trump for Prime Minister" on it.

As well as Trump's birthday, the event coincided with Flag Day.

The event was screened exclusively on Paramount+, which is run by Trump ally David Ellison. Last year, UFC signed a $7.7bn deal with the Netflix rival streaming service.

The ultimate winner may be UFC - making it to the White House is a fist-pumping brand boost for a sport that was once shunned by sponsors and venues and denounced as "human cockfighting" by a US senator.

Administration officials - including Trump - have repeatedly praised the event, with the president referring to it as "the greatest show on Earth" and comparing the Claw to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week lauded the UFC as the "definition of American soft diplomatic power" and announced the launch of a private-public partnership to use the UFC as a diplomatic tool.

Trump and White have both said that the UFC paid for the event, though the exact breakdown of costs has yet to be made public.

In a legal filing, the National Park Service said that the event was costing $60-plus million and tens of thousands of hours of labor, noting that seven government agencies have "allocated significant resources and manpower," according to the Associated Press.

Last week, UFC announced it was adding World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company co-owned by the Trump family, as an official partner for the event. The company will pay some bonuses to fighters in "stablecoins".

Just days before the fight, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of two Virginia residents - a Vietnam veteran and a local civic activist - to try to halt the event.

The legal action was filed by the Public Integrity Project, an organisation in Washington led by Democrats including former Senator Russ Feingold and politician Zephyr Teachout that has brought several suits against Trump.

The group cited a lack of approvals and Trump's close personal and financial ties with White and the UFC.

But on Friday, a judge denied an emergency injunction to stop the fight - a ruling welcomed by the White House, which described the lawsuit as "frivolous".

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday suggested many Americans were sceptical of the event.

The survey found that only 16% of Americans believed it appropriate to hold the UFC fight at the White House, compared to 46% who thought it inappropriate.

Only about a third of Republicans approved of the plan.

The UFC fight is one of several marquee events planned to mark the 250th anniversary of the country, which will also include an IndyCar race around the National Mall later this summer and a "Great American State Fair" in July.

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