Close Menu
    Money

    CEOs and Celebs Who Attended White House UFC Fight: Zuckerberg, Ellison

    Press RoomBy No Comments3 Mins Read

    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


    Mark Zuckerberg holding an arm to Trump's back as the two chat

    Mark Zuckerberg was seen chatting with Trump at the event.

    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    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


    Joe Rogan interviewing UFC fighter Justin Gaethje.

    Joe Rogan interviewed Justin Gaethje after the lightweight matchup.

    Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    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


    Ari Emanuel and TKO executives outside the Lincoln Memorial.

    Ari Emanuel was joined by other TKO executives.

    Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    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


    Shane Gillis in a Philadelphia Eagles hat.

    Shane Gillis repped the Philadelphia Eagles at the UFC fight.

    Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    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


    Zac Brown in a striped blue suit

    Zac Brown performed the national anthem ahead of the fight.

    Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    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


    Kris Marszalek holding a championship belt next to Dana White

    Kris Marszalek is the CEO of Crypto.com.

    Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    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


    Tony Hinchcliffe

    Tony Hinchcliffe performed a comedy set at a rally for Trump in 2024.

    Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    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.”

    Share.

    Related Posts

    Leave A Reply