While some in Washington were raising eyebrows at Sunday night's UFC event on the White House South Lawn, Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) had a very different takeaway, one rooted in state pride and what he described as a night unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
"You can't even describe it," Hamadeh said, struggling to find words for an evening that combined professional fighting, military pageantry, fireworks, and the iconic backdrop of the White House itself.
For Hamadeh, several elements stood out beyond the fights themselves. President Donald Trump, he noted, made a point of extending invitations to active military service members, filling a significant portion of the crowd with the men and women who serve the country.
A newly installed flagpole bearing a large American flag added to what Hamadeh described as a visually striking scene, the fighting ring framed against the White House, with fireworks overhead and military jets cutting across the sky.
"President Trump is giving our country what it deserves," Hamadeh said, "which is respect, honor, and pride, especially on our 250th anniversary."
However, it was Arizona's own representation inside the cage that gave Hamadeh perhaps his biggest reason to celebrate. Sean O'Malley, a fighter from Peoria, Arizona, picked up a victory on the card.
To add, in the main event, Justin Gaethje, a Safford, Arizona native from a small mining town background, pulled off one of the night's biggest upsets, defeating previously unbeaten champion Ilia Topuria as a six-to-one underdog to claim the UFC lightweight title.
For Hamadeh, Gaethje's story embodied something larger than sport.
"That's the all-American story right there," he said, pointing to a kid from a small Arizona mining town competing, and winning, on one of the biggest stages the sport has ever seen.
"Big success for Arizona last night," Hamadeh concluded.
