British boxer Tyson Fury made a surprise appearance at President Donald Trump’s UFC cage fight Sunday, wearing a cap emblazoned with the slogan “Donald Trump for Prime Minister.”
The former world heavyweight champion emerged from the wings of the White House while Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” played, wearing a bedazzled black suit and the red and white pro-Trump cap, which was printed with flags for both the U.K. and U.S.
The UFC cage fight, called “UFC Freedom 250”, was staged on the White House’s south lawn, where the administration has erected a ring, seating for roughly 4,500, as well as a large temporary arch dubbed “The Claw” to celebrate 250 years of American Independence. The event coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday.
While cageside, a UFC broadcaster teased an announcement involving Fury and UFC boss Dana White, and Fury told the crowd that he would like to fight Anthony Joshua in the future, further fueling the decade-long saga surrounding the two boxers.
Fury and Trump have been linked before. Following Fury’s championship wins, Trump has publicly praised him and previously extended invitations to the White House.
In the past, Fury has compared himself to Trump, using the slogan “Make boxing great again.”
Fury spoke about Trump in February when discussing her return from retirement, saying: “I came back to make boxing great again. Like Donald Trump wants to make America great again, I want to make boxing great again.”
Fury marked his return from a 16-month retirement with a wide points win over Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov in April. At the event, he called out Joshua, who was present ringside.
The appearance at the White House marks Fury’s first time in the U.S. since 2021.
The card at the Sunday night event featured seven fights, including a main event lightweight title bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Trump, a personal friend of Dana White, sat ringside at the event with the first lady, Melania Trump, and Ari Emanuel, the Hollywood agent and the chief executive of TKO Group, the parent company of the U.F.C.
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Fury and his family have been the center of several reality shows in recent years. His half-brother, Tommy Fury, was a runner-up on the 2019 series of Love Island alongside his partner Molly-Mae Hague.
The family also stars in Netflix reality series At Home with the Furys.
