US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social from his handle @realDonaldTrump that UFC fighter Justin Gaethje visited the Oval Office with his parents two weeks earlier to celebrate his big win.
What led to this
According to news reports, the meeting followed the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House lawn, which drew thousands of spectators and was part of celebrations marking Trump's 80th birthday. At that event, Justin Gaethje stunned Ilia Topuria, a fighter who had never lost before, handing him a shock defeat.
What Trump wrote
Trump wrote that Justin Gaethje came to the Oval Office to celebrate, with his parents, his great victory two weeks ago. He described it as one of the highest rated fights in the history of television and called it a great fight. He added that it was a great honor to see the champ, since Gaethje had beaten another truly great fighter who had never lost before. The post was signed off as President Donald J. Trump.
Who are Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria
The bout at UFC Freedom 250 pitted Justin Gaethje against Ilia Topuria, who was considered unbeaten heading into the fight. Gaethje's win over him was an upset, and it is that victory Trump is now celebrating publicly.
UFC and the birthday celebration at the White House
News reports say thousands attended the UFC event staged on the White House lawn. The occasion was also tied to Trump's 80th birthday celebrations, which reportedly included discussion of the Iran deal alongside the cage fight. It was against this backdrop that Gaethje and Topuria fought, a bout Trump later revisited by welcoming Gaethje and his parents to the Oval Office.
