Donald Trump to host UFC fight on White House grounds: What to know
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Donald Trump to Host UFC Fight on White House Grounds: What to Know
President Donald Trump has said he is thinking of hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House. Trump said the event would be a “full fight” with about 20,000 to 25,000 people in attendance. The unprecedented White House event forms part of Trump’s broader effort to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. The president has also described plans for the “Great American State Fair,” a nationwide series of events culminating on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.Officials have not yet confirmed a date for the proposed UFC fight or provided logistic details. The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed after the speech that Trump was “dead serious” about hosting the event. The event is also expected to feature national ceremonies, military flyovers and special programs at national parks.
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President Donald Trump has said he is thinking of hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence next year.
Trump said the event would be a “full fight” with about 20,000 to 25,000 people in attendance.
“So every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250. And I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight,” the president said during a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday.
Newsweek contacted the White House and UFC for comment by email outside regular working hours.
President Donald Trump at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3. President Donald Trump at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3. Alex Brandon/AP
Why It Matters
Trump, an enthusiast for the sport, has attended multiple mixed martial arts matches in recent months and is a friend of Dana White, the UFC’s president.
The unprecedented White House event forms part of Trump’s broader effort to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, which is also expected to feature national ceremonies, military flyovers and special programs at national parks.
Trump has also described plans for the “Great American State Fair,” a nationwide series of events culminating on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Each state would have a pavilion to showcase its culture and contributions.
What To Know
Speaking in Iowa on Thursday, Trump said: “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.”
“Dana is going to do it,” he continued, adding, “We are going to have a UFC fight—championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people—and we are going to do that as part of 250 also.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed after the speech that Trump was “dead serious” about hosting the event.
Trump has regularly attended UFC fights, most recently last month in Newark, New Jersey. He also attended a fight in Miami in April.
Trump’s friendship with White goes back to at least 2001, when he allowed the UFC to hold a fight at his Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City.
White also introduced Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last July.
What People Are Saying
A UFC official told CNN: “We are in discussions with the White House about hosting a UFC event on site.”
President Donald Trump said during his Memorial Day address in May: “We’re gonna have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years. … In some ways, I’m glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn’t be your president for that.”
Monica Crowley, the chief of protocol of the U.S., said: “We’ve had so much division and so much polarization over the last many decades, but certainly over the last few years, that to be able to bring the country together to celebrate America’s 250th birthday through patriotism, shared values and a renewed sense of civic pride, to be able to do that in the center of the country, is incredibly important.”
What Happens Next
Officials have not yet confirmed a date for the proposed UFC fight or provided logistic details.
Donald Trump: White House to host UFC event, says US President
US President Donald Trump says he plans to host a UFC event at the White House next year as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Trump said UFC president Dana White will build the event which will feature a “championship fight” in front of “20,000-25,000 people”
Speaking at a rally in Iowa, Trump said UFC president Dana White will build the event which will feature a “championship fight” in front of “20,000-25,000 people”.
“We’re going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. Dana’s going to do it,” said Trump.
The UFC are yet to officially confirm the show but the promotion’s president Dana White shared a video of Trump announcing the news on social media with the caption “this will be epic”.
The UFC’s Instagram account also shared the video, asking followers “who would you like to see headline the event?”
Trump is close friends with White, with the UFC chief becoming a key supporter during his 2024 election campaign.
He has attended a number of UFC shows during his two stints as president and was most recently at UFC 316 in New Jersey last month.
Trump’s speech in Iowa marked the first of a series of events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Trump to Host UFC Fight at White House in 2026 for America 250: ‘Dead Serious!’
President Donald Trump wants to host a UFC fight on the White House lawn with as many as 25,000 spectators next July 4. The proposal would form part of a yearlong celebration culminating on July 4, 2026 in what the president is calling America 250. The plan blends Trump’s flair for spectacle with his personal ties to the UFC, whose president, Dana White, is a close confidant.
The proposal — announced at Des Moines, Iowa, rally on Thursday — would form part of a yearlong celebration culminating on July 4, 2026 in what the president is calling America 250. The plan blends Trump’s flair for spectacle with his personal ties to the UFC, whose president, Dana White, is a close confidant and political ally.
“So every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250,” Trump told the crowd, before adding: “And I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight.”
“Think of this on the grounds of the White House,” he said. “We have a lot of land there.”
The president has appeared cage-side at several UFC events in recent years.
Trump added that it would be a “full fight” with “20,000 to 25,000 people,” indicating a high-production event more akin to a Vegas card than a presidential garden party.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Associated Press that the president was “dead serious” about the proposal.
Beyond the potential cage match, Trump said the White House would oversee a cross-country athletic competition featuring high school students and a grand festival on the National Mall.
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Source: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-host-ufc-fight-white-house-250-american-independence-2094627