On June 14, US President Donald Trump celebrates two anniversaries: his 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The program: hours of, undoubtedly bloody, cage fights on the South Lawn of the White House.
The event is the culmination of a long relationship between Trump and UFC President Dana White. White, who recently told ROLLING STONE that he is “right in the middle” politically, has been a loyal ally of the president since Trump’s first campaign. Trump, in turn, has been the biggest fan of White and the sport of MMA for decades.
“Everyone has their thing, and Donald Trump’s thing is the UFC,” White told ROLLING STONE.
MMA at the center of power
In recent years, the UFC’s growing popularity has given White a veritable stranglehold on American culture – his sport is inextricably linked to the increasingly right-wing “manosphere.” Today, MMA stands at the intersection of politics and pop culture. A fight in the heart of the capital was almost inevitable – Trump just had to ask.
ROLLING STONE will be at the fights in June. Until then: everything we know so far.
Why is the White House hosting a UFC event?
In short: because Donald Trump asked for it. Plans for a UFC event at the White House began about a year ago when Trump privately suggested to White that he organize an event in Washington. White described it as a casual remark as both men sat cageside at an event in South Florida – but the thought quickly became a reality as preparations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States gained momentum.
The more detailed answer is a bit more complicated. White and Trump have known each other since the early 2000s, when Trump allowed White to host several of his first UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Trump also became an ardent fan of the sport and sat right next to the cage for every fight in these early events.
The pair’s friendship deepened when White agreed to introduce Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Trump’s request at the party conference
“When he called me back then [2015]”He said, ‘Listen, if you don’t want to do this, I completely understand, but I would be honored if you spoke for me at the Republican National Convention,'” White told us in the Rolling Stone interview. “Everyone advised me against it. For two reasons: one, you want to stay away from politics, and two, he’s never going to win anyway.”
Since that moment, the UFC has become a defining cultural force in America. In the run-up to the 2024 election, White personally put his thumb on the scales for Trump and used his contacts in new media formats such as podcasts and social media to present Trump to a younger group of voters. White threaded Trump’s appearances on Theo Von’s podcast, the Nelk Boys channels, various Barstool Sports podcasts and of course on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” It worked: Trump was elected to a second term and celebrated his victory a few days after the election at a lavish UFC event at Madison Square Garden.
But the real reason for the White House event is personal. Trump loves the UFC. UFC events have always been safe havens for him – he’s always greeted with a standing ovation and rarely has to deal with the catcalls or boos that sometimes greet him at other sporting events. Trump always wants to put his own stamp on world events – so it stands to reason that he wanted to bring a spectacle that is inextricably linked to his own rise to fame to the America 250 celebrations in the capital.
Who is fighting?
The fight card is exciting and a bit weird at the same time. Big names are on it, but also short-term additions and Trump’s personal favorite fighter, Derrick Lewis.
The complete card at a glance:
Main event: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the Lightweight Championship
Co-Main: Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the Interim Heavyweight Championship
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi at bantamweight
Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis at Heavyweight
Mauricio Luffy vs. Michael Chandler at Lightweight
Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus at Middleweight
Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia at Featherweight
Trump’s favorites in the Octagon
The lineup relies heavily on fighters like Bo Nickal, Josh Hokit and Michael Chandler, all of whom have publicly thrown their support behind the president. Chandler famously fought in the co-main event of the Madison Square Garden event immediately after Trump’s election victory.
Trump seems enthusiastic. In May, the President received the four fighters from the two main fights in the Oval Office.
“As you know, June 14th. We’re having a big fight,” Trump said. “It will never happen again. It’s never happened before. And these are the best fighters, the four best fighters standing right behind me, all champions. And it’s going to take place right in front of the White House.”
“These are real warriors,” he said of the fighters behind him. “They really love the sport,” he continued. “They come out of the ring after the most incredible fight you’ve ever seen. And they say this is the greatest sport… well, personally, I’d rather sink a three-putt. But there’s nothing better to watch than that.”
Trump’s real passion
Trump’s penchant for martial arts is not a pose. He regularly shows up at UFC events in Florida and New York, and he’ll be completely in his element at the June 14 event.
The funny thing about the White House event is how much of it was left to the UFC. In the ROLLING STONE interview, White described how this came about:
“We’re at a fight and he looks at me in the middle of the fight and says, ‘You know what? We should do a fight in the White House.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you should do a White House fight,'” White said. “I don’t know if you’ll ever meet anyone more proud of the White House than he is. He really loves this place and he feels like it’s America’s house and we should do things where more people can come to the White House and experience it.”
After that, it was kind of the UFC’s show. The company is supposed to cover the costs of the event itself – tickets are free, but a place on the South Lawn is one of the most coveted invitations in Washington. Behind the scenes, Republican lawmakers and influential conservative donors are vying for a limited number of spots. White believes Trump may regret causing such a stir – but that the show must go on either way.
“We’re in” – the show goes on
“To have the opportunity to fight in the White House — we’re in,” White said. “[Angesichts all dem, was gerade läuft,] he probably regrets telling me that. But we’re still there. It happens. Everything is in motion. He never said anything like that to me, but this man is dealing with shit that people like you and me can’t even imagine or even want.”
The physical setting of the fight is perhaps one of the most controversial elements of the entire event. UFC fights require significant infrastructure – for the Octagon cage as well as for the lighting and camera systems necessary for broadcast. To accommodate that on the open South Lawn, White had a massive arch built in Pennsylvania and shipped to Washington, which is now being mounted over the lawn – right next to Trump’s half-demolished East Wing, the future site of the White House Ballroom.
There is only room for around 4,000 spectators on the South Lawn. Sponsorship packages for these seats – which are “technically free” – are reportedly costing up to $1.5 million for a ringside view.
Everyone else is watching the action on the Ellipse, across the street from the South Lawn, where the UFC is planning a huge watch party. Attendees will not be able to watch the fight live, but will be in a makeshift arena watching on video screens. The UFC is also hosting a free “Fan Fest” event the day before the fights, Saturday June 13th. There is no entry fee for either experience, but tickets are required – most have already been snapped up online. Those not in Washington can watch the fights on Paramount+, which secured exclusive broadcast rights to the UFC in a multibillion-dollar deal worth $7.7 billion last August. Trump-aligned David Ellison bought Paramount just weeks before signing the UFC for the next seven years.
The press conference for the event will take place on June 12th at the Lincoln Memorial. The main event begins on Sunday, June 14th at 8 p.m. – prime time on the president’s birthday.
