The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to electrify Washington, D.C. next month, with a thrilling prime-time event scheduled at the White House. This unique occasion is part of the national “America 250” celebrations, also marking President Trump’s milestone 80th birthday.
Weeks of meticulous planning have gone into this highly anticipated sports event, which promises to blend the worlds of politics and combat sports in an unprecedented way. The South Lawn will transform into a massive stage for this spectacle, with the president himself expected to be in attendance.
Here’s what you need to know about “UFC 250,” taking place on June 14:
Trump’s ties to UFC run deep
President Trump has been a long-time enthusiast of combat sports, having hosted numerous high-profile boxing matches and prize fights at his casinos and resorts prior to his presidency.
Throughout his time in office, Trump has been a familiar face at major UFC events, fostering a strong camaraderie with UFC President Dana White along the way.
Steven Cheung, one of the president’s closest communications advisers, has worked for UFC and the president’s daughter Ivanka was instrumental in securing the “UFC 250” event.
The June 14 fight was initially Trump’s idea, White has said in a number of interviews. The administration is hoping the spectacle will inspire patriotism among Americans at a time many are feeling uncertain about the economy, foreign conflicts overseas and other issues.
Yet White, who stumped for Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention, insists “UFC 250” will not be an inherently political event.
“You can make anything political if you want to,” he said as part of a wide-ranging interview with Time published this week. “I love this country like anybody on the left loves this country. I love this country like anybody on the right loves this country.”
White says he is confident the fight night will “positively deliver” for both the president and his organization.
Trump, who has experience promoting large-scale events, oftentimes choreographed specifically for television, has also worked overtime to hype the event.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of big events; I have never had an event that has had more interest than the UFC fight we have right at the front door,” he told reporters earlier this year.
Top UFC fighters set to participate
UFC in March unveiled its full fight card for matches set to play out in the octagon erected on the South Lawn.
The fights themselves, which begin in late afternoon and are expected to run deep into the evening, will feature top names from across the sport and feature six prime-time bouts.
The main event will pit lightweight Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria against American Justin Gaethje, while undercard clashes between Brazilian Alex Pereira and France’s Ciryl Gane are also scheduled.
American Sean O’Malley will take on Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi, while American Michael Chandler is slated to take on Brazilian fighter Mauricio Ruffy.
UFC will host two fight nights leading into the June 14 event, on Saturday in Macau and June 6 in Las Vegas, and the league has been promoting the White House showdowns aggressively since plans were announced.
There are also expected to be a number of celebrities in attendance, with a guest list that reportedly includes Hollywood icons like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Adam Sandler and Mario Lopez.
“We’ve got to get it all dialed in, and then we have to execute that night,” White told Time. “We’re putting on the most historic sporting event in history, and now we have to deliver.”
White House grounds transformed into outdoor arena
Hype for the first-of-its-kind event was kicked into overdrive over the weekend when photos emerged of construction crews beginning work on the South Lawn.
The photos showed workers building pieces of the red and blue UFC fighting ring with the “UFC Freedom 250” signage and massive cranes constructing risers and other large buildouts to accommodate guests.
The setup will include a regulation UFC Octagon, which spans 750 square feet and will serve as a canvas for tilts between fighters who will reportedly walk out of the Oval Office before doing battle.
The president has said the goal is for the space to hold 4,500 fans, and he anticipates another 50,000 to 100,000 people will be able to watch the bouts on “massive screens” staged at the Ellipse, a public park located directly south of the White House.
Some on social media have mocked the construction and pointed it out as an eyesore, which comes as the administration continues work on the East Wing, where the president is planning a controversial ballroom.
Some UFC figures aren’t impressed
Some in the Mixed Martial Arts and professional fighting world are less than enthused about the prospect of the event.
“I don’t like the idea of fighting outside at all. There are too many problems with it,” said Joe Rogan, a popular podcaster on the right and onetime ally of the president who also serves as a UFC announcer. “In June, in DC, we looked it up last year — the same day was 100 degrees.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment seeking information on a weather contingency plan.
Rogan called it a mistake, from UFC’s perspective, to host a championship fight in a “non-controlled environment.”
“It should be inside an air-conditioned arena,” said Rogan, who has also called the spectacle a “gimmick” and a “security nightmare.”
The president has brushed aside such a suggestion.
“At first, I thought, ‘That’s not nice,’” the president told Time. “And then I realized, it is a gimmick. Life is a gimmick, if you think about it, right? But it’s a good gimmick. It’s something that will never happen again.”
Both Trump and UFC stand to gain a great deal with their core base of supporters with “UFC 250.”
White suggested during a recent interview with NPR the average UFC fan and a supporter of the president have much in common and the June fight will be major moment for a key demographic he is targeting with his business.
“During the COVID craziness and a lot of the stuff that went on, a lot of young men felt displaced and a lot of negative things were being said about young men,” White said. “This sport speaks to young men … and you know, we supported Trump.”