Ukrainian boxing champion Usyk meets Trump at White House after Pentagon security scare

Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, just hours after his first-ever visit to the Pentagon was briefly interrupted by a security scare.

The White House meeting was confirmed by Margo Martin, the president’s deputy communications director, who posted a photo of Trump and Usyk shaking hands in the Oval Office. “President Donald Trump in the Oval Office with World Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk,” Martin captioned the image.

No details of their discussion have been released publicly.

The 38-year-old undefeated champion arrived in Washington on Thursday, marking his first trip to the U.S. capital. Earlier in the day, he toured the Pentagon with his team director, Serhiy Lapin. “First time visiting the Pentagon. It’s hard to put the emotions into words – the scale is truly impressive!” Usyk wrote on social media.

However, the Pentagon visit took an unexpected turn when an alarm triggered an evacuation of the building. Usyk captured the moment on video, saying: “We arrived at the Pentagon. And now there’s some kind of attack. An alarm has gone off and we have to evacuate. What’s going on?”

Officials later confirmed the alert was a false alarm caused by a technical malfunction in a hazardous materials detection system.

Usyk’s Washington visit comes as the White House prepares to host UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday – a major mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn marking the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which also coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday.

Usyk, a former Olympic gold medalist who won the top prize at the London 2012 Games, remains undefeated in his professional career. In May, he successfully defended his title with a technical knockout victory over Dutch boxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.

The Ukrainian champion has been an outspoken advocate for his country since Russia’s invasion, previously urging Trump to visit Ukraine and witness the realities of war. During a White House meeting in February 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy famously gifted Trump one of Usyk’s championship belts.