Donald Trump plots shock UFC title fight at the White House as Dana White ‘confirms' plan for 2026 card
Trump, 79, has been a regular attendee of events staged by mixed martial arts' premier promotion over the years and is good pals with UFC headhoncho Dana White.
4
Donald Trump is a long-time fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Credit: REUTRS
4
The President plans to have UFC supremo Dana White stage a fight card at the White House
Credit: AFP
4
Trump revealed his shock plans during a rally in Iowa
Credit: MEGA
And the President plans to host an epic fight night, which will include a title fight, on the grounds surrounding 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Speaking at an event in
Iowa
ahead of the 250th anniversary of America's independence, Trump said: "All of our national park battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honour of America 250.
"And I even think we're going to have a UFC fight.
'Does anybody watch UFC [and] the great
Dana White
?
READ MORE UFC NEWS
"We're going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.'
He added: "A
championship
fight, full fight, like 20, 25,000 people.'
According to the
White seemingly did so himself by sharing a post of Trump announcing his plans on his
story early on Friday morning.
Most read in MMA
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
4
Donald Trump has been attending UFC events for over two decades
Credit: AP
Trump has been attending UFC events for the best of 25 years and even hosted a card - UFC 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal - in February 2001.
Reflecting on his relationship with the President in an interview with Tucker Carlson, White said: "This guy has been so good to me it's unexplainable.
Donald Trump arrives at UFC 295 to insane chorus of cheers as long-time pal of Dana White takes in historic card
"He's been a very good friend to me since the day I met him.
"When we bought this company it had such a bad stigma attached to it and the sport that we couldn't even get into venues, they didn't want us.
"
Donald Trump
saw that this thing could possibly be big.
"Plus he's a sports guy who loves sports, and he offered us to come do the event at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
"He cut us a very fair deal and we went down there and did two events with him where he showed up for the first fight and stayed until the last fight.
"Imagine back then; Trump brand is way up, UFC brand is way down, but he took us in and he was great."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Trump signs 'big, beautiful' bill on US Independence Day
US President Donald Trump signed into law a massive package of tax and spending cuts at the White House during an outdoor ceremony on the Fourth of July holiday. With military jets flying overhead and hundreds of supporters in attendance, Mr Trump signed the bill one day after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved the signature legislation of the president's second term. The bill, which will fund Mr Trump's immigration crackdown, make his 2017 tax cuts permanent, and is expected to knock millions of Americans off health insurance, was passed with a 218-214 vote after an emotional debate on the House floor. "I've never seen people so happy in our country because of that, because so many different groups of people are being taken care of: the military, civilians of all types, jobs of all types," Mr Trump said at the ceremony, thanking House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for leading the bill through the two houses of Congress. "So you have the biggest tax cut, the biggest spending cut, the largest border security investment in American history," he said. Mr Trump scheduled the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House for the 4 July Independence Day holiday, replete with a flyover by stealth bombers and fighter jets like those that took part in the recent US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. Hundreds of Mr Trump supporters attended, including White House aides, members of Congress, and military families. After a speech that included boastful claims about the ascendance of America on his watch, Mr Trump signed the bill, posed for pictures with Republican congressional leaders and members of his cabinet, and waded through the crowd of happy supporters. The bill's passage amounts to a big win for Mr Trump and his Republican allies, who have argued it will boost economic growth, while largely dismissing a non-partisan analysis predicting it will add more than $3 trillion (€2.5 trillion) to the nation's $36.2 trillion debt. While some politicians in Mr Trump's party expressed concerns over the bill's price tag and its hit to healthcare programmes, in the end just two of the House's 220 Republicans voted against it, joining all 212 Democrats in opposition. The tense standoff over the bill included a record-long floor speech by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who spoke for eight hours and 46 minutes, blasting the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy that would strip low-income Americans of federally-backed health insurance and food aid benefits. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin predicted the law would cost Republicans votes in congressional elections in 2026. "Today, Donald Trump sealed the fate of the Republican Party, cementing them as the party for billionaires and special interests - not working families," Mr Martin said in a statement. "This legislation will hang around the necks of the GOP for years to come. This was a full betrayal of the American people. Today, we are putting Republicans on notice: you will lose your majority," he added.
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Sweden beat rivals Denmark to go 13 games unbeaten
SWEDEN BEAT their Scandinavian rivals Denmark 1-0 on Friday, taking an early lead in Group C at Women's Euro 2025 before Germany open their title bid against Poland. Filippa Angeldahl scored Sweden's winner in the 55th minute in Geneva after exchanging passes with Kosovare Asllani and firing into the far corner. Advertisement Sweden should have doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Madelen Janogy headed Hanna Lundkvist's pinpoint cross narrowly wide, while moments before Stina Blackstenius was denied by Frederikke Thogersen's brilliant goalline clearance. Peter Gerhardsson's team are now unbeaten in 13 games after a second straight win over the Danes, with Sweden running out emphatic 6-1 winners in the Nations League last month. Sweden kept a tight handle on Denmark's skipper Pernille Harder, although she did smash an effort off the crossbar with nine minutes remaining. The Bayern Munich forward was also involved when VAR decided not to award a penalty to Denmark in the opening minutes for a potential handball by Madelen Janogy, who was marking Parder. – © AFP 2025
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Julian McMahon dead at 56 after Nip/Tuck and Fantastic Four actor's ‘private battle' with cancer
JULIAN McMahon is dead at the age of 56 following a 'private battle' with cancer, his family announced in an emotional statement on the 4th of July. It was not publicly known that the actor, best known for his starring roles on Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four, Charmed and FBI: Most Wanted, was sick prior to his death. 3 Julian McMahon attends The Warner Brothers' Premiere of The Lake House in LA in 2006 3 Julian McMahon as Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck Credit: Channel 4 On Friday, Julian's family announced that he passed away on Wednesday, July 2nd, in Clearwater, Florida, after a private cancer battle. His wife, Kelly McMahon, said in a statement: 'With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. 'Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. 'His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible. We ask for support during this time to allow our family to grieve in privacy.' READ MORE ON CELEB DEATHS Kelly concluded in the heartfelt message she first shared with Julian's last social media post celebrated what would end up being his final film. The actor boasted about his psychological thriller, The Surfer, which co-starred Nicolas Cage and was released earlier this year. He posted a series of promos for the movie after taking a year-long break from Instagram. Most read in Celebrity Before his February posts, Julian last updated his Instagram page back in July 2024. He also recently appeared alongside Uzo Aduba in the Netflix series, The Residence. Julian starred in six episodes of the show, which premiered on March 30. The Australian actor was born in Sydney on July 27, 1968 and his father, Billy McMahon, served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. Watch Nip/Tuck Here He started his career in entertainment as a model but quickly transitioned to acting when he starred in the Australian soap opera, The Power, The Passion, in 1989. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos . Like us on Facebook at 3 Julian is spotted on the NYC set of FBI: MOST WANTED Credit: Getty
