President Trump floats hosting UFC event on White House grounds
Speaking in Iowa on Thursday, Trump floated the idea of hosting a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House as part of the government's festivities around the United States' 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. His pitch, which included praise for his friend, UFC CEO Dana White:
"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, we're going to build — we're not Dana's going to do it. Dana's great, one of a kind. We're going to have a UFC fight — championship fight, full fight. Like 20, 25 thousand people.
"We're going to that as part of 250, also. We're going to have some professional events, some amateur events, but the UFC fight is going to be a big deal too."
When asked by the Associated Press for additional details, a White House spokesperson reportedly said they had no details to share beyond the president's announcement. Trump also announced a festival on the National Mall and a separate competition featuring high school athletes from across the country.
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While details are scarce, the relationships behind such a proposition are not. No sports organizations has ties to Trump as firm as the UFC. In addition to a history with White going back to the early days of the UFC (when his Trump Taj Mahal hosted events at a fraught time in the promotion's history), Trump is a frequent attendee for its major cards and always receives an enthusiastic reaction from its right-leaning fanbase.
Trump has spoken glowingly of the UFC in the past, and sometimes with his own pitches for the sport (who can forget his pitch for a UFC-style league for migrants last year?). The UFC has also gone outside the box in the past with venues, such as its "Fight Island" during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Still, a UFC event with tens of thousands of people would likely represent an enormous logistical challenge, and it remains to be seen if White would actually want to take part.
Whether or not the Dana White House fight comes to fruition, the announcement was part of an eventful day for Trump, whose controversial domestic policy bill narrowly passed through the House and will be awaiting his signature on Friday.
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