US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday by welcoming a preliminary agreement to end the war in Iran and hosting an evening of UFC fights on the famous South Lawn of the White House.
The Republican president sought to frame Sunday's event as part of the broader, months-long celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Trump accompanied UFC boss Dana White from the Oval Office to the Blue Room balcony to admire the temporary metal arch resembling a spaceship that overlooks the octagon, dubbed "The Claw".
More than 4,000 spectators were invited to attend the fight night on site, including high-profile figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, while thousands more were able to follow the event on giant screens from the nearby Ellipse.
This event forced G7 leaders to postpone their meeting in the French town of Evian so that Trump could attend without missing a key moment of the party organized for his birthday.
However, the weekend was not all rosy for the American president, as teams had to remove his name from the Kennedy Center after a court ruled that naming the establishment after him went too far.
Before the start of the fight, Sean Strickland, two-time UFC champion and vocal critic of Israel, was escorted out of the Ellipse by a group of police officers.
These festivities contrasted sharply with those organized by Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, who also celebrated his 80th birthday during his term, but in a much less lavish manner.
When asked about this contrast, White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster defended the event, calling it "one of the most entertaining nights in U.S. history."
