Trump Announces UFC Fight At White House, Giving The Oval Office A Front Row Seat To The “Epic” Event
As part of the America 250 celebration that will be held across the country in 2026, President Donald Trump announced on July 3 that the White House will host a UFC fight. Here, then President-Elect Trump can be seen holding UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ championship belt on November 16, 2024. (Photo credit: Chris Unger / Zuffa LLC / Getty Images, and Hu Yousong / Xinhua / Getty Images)
President Donald Trump Announces UFC Fight Will Be Held At White House
“We’re going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House,” revealed President Donald Trump while addressing attendees at a “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” victory rally in Iowa on July 3. “We have a lot of land there … Dana’s gonna do it.”
Dana White, president and CEO of UFC, has confirmed the fight is in the works for 2026, but details have yet to be shared beyond the event’s connection with the America 250 celebration.
“Every one of our national park battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250,” Trump said, adding that the UFC fight at the White House will be a “championship fight” with as many as 25,000 people in attendance at the fight.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote of the event on X, saying, “It’s going to be EPIC!”
It’s going to be EPIC! https://t.co/fNes3H3jEI
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 4, 2025
Responding to this announcement, former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who is currently running for president of Ireland as an independent candidate, posted on X:
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 4, 2025
He then proceeded to share a screenshot of a “business chat” between himself and Dana White, with Dana responding, “I LOVE IT!!!!”
McGregor went on to note that July 4 is on a Saturday in 2026, writing:
July 4th next year is a Saturday, regarding President Trumps UFC White House event.
I will be reigning President of Ireland just under 1 year when I step out on the lawns of the White House to throw down.
Epic proportions! Or as I like to call it, Tuesday at the office.
Vote…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 4, 2025
Trump’s History With UFC
Going back to at least the 1980s, Trump has been a patron of combat sports.
In 2001, a UFC match was hosted by Trump at his Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.
Following the peaceful transition of power after Trump’s first term in office, one of Trump’s first public appearances after President Joe Biden’s inauguration was at a UFC fight in July of 2021, where he was welcomed with the audience cheering, “U-S-A!”
Back on April 12, President Donald Trump attended a UFC fight in Miami, Florida, making him the first sitting president to attend a UFC event. There, he was greeted with a thunderous reception from the crowd as he made his entrance with members of his cabinet, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard.
No stranger to Ultimate Fighting Championship events, Trump gave comment on the UFC after the April match, telling the press, “They’re all warriors, you know, they’re modern day warriors.”
Since then, he has also attended a UFC fight in New Jersey, on June 7.
The Patriot Games
Trump also announced that there will be another televised sporting event in 2026.
“To bring back our people together, through the power of sports, America 250 will also host a brand new, first of its kind, youth athletes [event],” Trump said. “It’s a competition known as The Patriot Games, and it features top high school athletes from all 50 states.”
He added, “It’s going to be great.”
Noting this event will be nationally televised, he added that The Patriot Games will be led by RFK Jr.
Both the UFC fight at the White House and The Patriot Games are part of a larger celebration of American excellence, looking back at 250 years since the signing of the declaration of Independence in 1776.
Other significant sporting events in 2026 include the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Trump helped secure for the United States as a host country during his first term, in 2017.
Watch Trump announce the UFC fight at the White House, here:
