The second-to-last bout of the evening pitted Alex Pereira against Ciryl Gane. Pereira, already a former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, sought to become the first fighter to win titles in three weight classes. Former interim heavyweight champion Gane stood in his path. The interim belt was contested because champion Tom Aspinall was sidelined by an eye injury. Following Josh Hokit’s win over Derrick Lewis, Hokit handed his chain to President Donald Trump after the fight. Video showed the president wearing it briefly before removing it. Hokit thanked Trump for hosting the event and repeated a claim that Michelle Obama is a man. Sean O’Malley defeated Aiemann Zahabi by TKO at 4:02 of the second round. The pro-American crowd chanted “U-S-A” and “O-Mal-ley” while some spectators shouted remarks about Canada. O’Malley controlled the fight with strikes from range before finishing with a barrage that prompted the referee’s stoppage. Trump applauded the result and shook O’Malley’s hand. Barron Trump was seen speaking with guests between bouts. O’Malley thanked fans at the Ellipse and praised UFC president Dana White. Earlier, Hokit delivered a post-fight interview touching on politics, religion and opponents before ending with the same claim about Michelle Obama. The remarks drew reactions from the crowd. Hokit improved to 10-0 with a second-round TKO of Derrick Lewis at 4:09, controlling the fight in striking and grappling. Lewis struggled to match the pace in the one-sided contest.
