Trump’s White House UFC event marred by Michelle Obama smear

About 20,000 spectators attended; organisers erected a giant canopy, military flyovers featured, and thunderstorms failed to materialise.

Washington: US President Donald Trump’s unprecedented UFC event on the White House South Lawn on Sunday night was overshadowed by a false and offensive remark about former First Lady Mich­elle Obama, despite an evening packed with patriotic pageantry, political symbolism and high-profile sporting action.

The event, held beneath a giant steel canopy and attended by thousands, featured military flyovers, cabinet officials, foreign dignitaries, technology executives including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and UFC chief executive Dana White. Trump used the occasion to mark his 80th birthday and the approaching 250th anniversary of US independence.

The most controversial moment came after heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit defeated Derrick Lewis by technical knockout. During a post-fight interview, Hokit praised Trump before repeating the long-debunked conspiracy theory that “Michelle Obama is a man”. The remark drew cheers from some spectators and stunned reactions from others.

Political overtones continued throughout the night. During Sean O’Malley’s bout against Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi, sections of the crowd chanted “U-S-A!” and “Canada is the 51st state”, echoing Trump's repeated jibes about annexing Canada. O’Malley won by second-round technical knockout. Inside the cage, every fight on the seven-bout card ended by knockout or technical knockout, a first in UFC history. The main event produced a major upset as American fighter Justin Gaethje rallied to defeat previously unbeaten Ilia Topuria and capture the undisputed lightweight title.

Fireworks over the White House capped an event that blurred the lines between sport, politics and spectacle.