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The UFC fight that President Donald Trump had promised would be "the greatest show on Earth" finally took over the White House's South Lawn on Sunday night.
UFC Freedom 250, a seven-bout event, was attended by Trump, who also turned 80 on Sunday, along with members of the Trump family, cabinet officials, tech leaders, business executives, and a handful of celebrities.
JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth were there, as well as other Republican leaders like Mike Johnson and John Thune.
Some business executives and celebrities showed up, too. Among those in attendance was David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, which owns exclusive streaming rights to UFC, and which was cleared by the US Department of Justice to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery just days before the White House event.
The New York Times reported that New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan was also spotted at the event, less than 24 hours after his franchise won its first NBA championship since 1973.
See other big names in attendance.
Mark Zuckerberg
The Meta CEO was seen speaking with Trump during a break at the event.
In late 2024, Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, and Zuckerberg later attended the ceremony alongside other tech CEOs and billionaires. Last year, he sat beside Trump at a White House dinner for tech leaders.
Joe Rogan
Rogan, a longtime UFC interviewer and color commentator, was part of the broadcast event.
Rogan interviewed Trump on his podcast ahead of the 2024 election, but has levied criticism against the president as recently as last Friday, speaking of his frustration over the Epstein files and the Iran war, The Hill reported. Rogan previously criticized the idea of an outdoor UFC fight, but has since praised the event.
Ari Emanuel
Emanuel is the CEO of TKO Group Holdings, which owns both the WWE and UFC. Emanuel and Trump have had a longtime professional relationship.
Shane Gillis
The comedian, whose impression of the president is well-known, and Trump previously met at the Super Bowl LIX. The president later said, "I like him," The New York Post reported, citing The Spectator.
Zac Brown
The singer performed the national anthem at the fight, drawing criticism from some fans. Brown said that he sang at the event because of "patriotism, not politics," USA Today reported.
Kris Marszalek
Marszalek co-founded Crypto.com, which is engaged in a "strategic partnership" with Trump Media, per the company. Crypto.com co-sponsored the UFC fight.
Tony Hinchcliffe
Hinchcliffe is perhaps best known for his comedy performance at a 2024 Trump rally in which he called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage," among other racial and ethnic remarks, the BBC reported.
Hinchcliffe later defended his comments, saying his critics had "no sense of humor."
Read next
James LaForge is a Life Fellow on Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team. He has covered history, lifestyle, and culture for Business Insider and partners, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo.He previously wrote for New Jersey Monthly Magazine, covering lifestyle and culture content. He graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts.Selected Articles:
- The almost-presidents: 10 Americans who nearly assumed the nation's highest office
- 11 times US presidents launched military operations without Congressional approval
- From inspirational quotes to depicting himself as Jesus, see how Trump's social media posts have evolved since 2009
- A New Jersey mansion served as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Take a look inside.
- Every US president and first lady who worked as a schoolteacher
- 10 celebrities' favorite sandwiches, from the basic to the bizarre
- An entrepreneur is transforming a Cold War-era nuclear silo into an underground data center. Look inside.
- Every US state's economy, ranked from worst to best
- Photos show life in Western Sahara, which has been dubbed 'Africa's last colony'
- This Washington, DC, rowhouse was built during George Washington's presidency. Now it's on the market for $1.3 million
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