WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Hockey star Matthew Tkachuk was ready to see some carnage at the .
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be the under in every single fight,鈥� he told the crowd on the Ellipse on Sunday night. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 not going to last like halfway through. They鈥檙e all going to be knockouts or finishes early.鈥�
Tkachuk and his brother Brady 鈥� no strangers to occasional pugilism on the ice 鈥� were part of pre-fight festivities for , the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. While the crowd around the Octagon was full of VIPs, the Ellipse 鈥� an expansive lawn between the White House and Washington Monument 鈥� hosted a viewing party for the more common fan.
The Tkachuks appeared on stage and answered a few questions about their interest in UFC. Logan Paul was also among those who showed up to entertain the crowd, and at one point UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland arrived, causing a rush of fans in his direction. Strickland was escorted out by a group of police officers.
U.S. Park Police said Strickland鈥檚 presence resulted in disorder. He wasn鈥檛 cited or arrested, but was taken to his hotel and told not to come back to the venue.
For a while, the weather was a significant concern, and there were dark clouds hanging over the area around the time the fighting started. But although there were warnings posted on video screens about possible bad weather, the area avoided any storms.
The crowd seemed awed by the flyover at the beginning of the event, quickly starting a 鈥淯SA!鈥� chant. And there were other ways fans at the Ellipse were able to feel part of the proceedings, such as when competitors were brought back to address them from the stage after winning their fights.
鈥淢aybe the greatest experience of my life,鈥� Bo Nickal said after knocking out Kyle Daukaus in the first round in a middleweight clash. 鈥淛ust so much fun. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.鈥�
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