KLIK SAJA - In a move that's turning heads across the nation, former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the White House will serve as the venue for a UFC fight next year.
The event will be part of the grand celebration marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
While the announcement may sound wild, it didn’t come as a total surprise—Trump is famously a huge fan of the octagon and has long supported mixed martial arts.
However, critics are already raising eyebrows, questioning whether it’s appropriate for a national landmark like the White House—a symbol of American democracy—to be used for a commercial sporting event.
Trump, speaking before a crowd in Iowa on Thursday, revealed that the fight will be a full-blown “championship bout,” expecting a live audience of 20,000 to 25,000 spectators.
“We’re going to have some incredible events—some professional, some amateur,” said Trump, who shares a close friendship with UFC President Dana White.
Trump is no stranger to UFC spectacles. Just last month, he was seen ringside with White at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey.
During his speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Trump rallied the crowd:
“Anybody here watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to host a UFC fight—imagine this—on the White House lawn. We’ve got plenty of space!”
Shortly after his remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the bold plan on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “It’s going to be EPIC!”
Trump's ties to the UFC go back over 20 years. In 2001, when the organization was struggling to find venues, he welcomed UFC to his Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City—an act Dana White has never forgotten.
Since then, White has been one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, publicly endorsing him in the 2016 election and hailing him as a “true fighter.”
Following an assassination attempt against Trump last year, White called him “a tough guy” and “the most legit, ultimate American badass of all time.”
Trump says the UFC event will be one of many across the country to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.
“Every national park, battlefield, and historic site will host special events to commemorate America250,” he said.
