President Trump plays host to UFC White House fight night

Article posted by Coliseum, June 17^th, 2026

Image: White House, Matt Wade, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brought the house down with its latest event staged on the South Lawn of the White House.

Time said UFC Freedom 250 was held as US President Donald Trump celebrated his 80^th and America’s 250^th birthday with an event on the White House lawn.

The UFC White House fight night was the first ever professional sporting event held at the presidential residence.

The centrepiece of the drama was the Claw – a metal structure 92^ft (28m) high, weighing 600 tonnes, that loomed over the Octagon – in which the fights happened. Trump likened it to the Eifel Tower in Paris.

An estimated 4,300 people were present for the invite-only event on the South Lawn – and another 85,000 were expected to watch at a nearby fan zone.

US administration officials were in attendance, along with UFC chief Dana White, Trump’s longstanding friend.

Trump has long ties to combat sports. Dating back to the 1980s, he hosted several marquee boxing matches at his hotels in Atlantic City and has often been seen at UFC matches.

Trump’s links to UFC date back more than 20 years. In 2001, he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when White was struggling to find a venue.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings.

The largest MMA promotion in the world, the UFC has over 578 fighters contracted that fight across 11 weight divisions (eight men’s and three women’s).

The UFC White House fight night opened with Trump walking from the building to the arena alongside White. Military planes then flew overhead.

Trump and thousands of other mixed martial arts fans watched on as American fighter Justin Gaethje beat Spanish-Georgian opponent Ilia Topuria to win the lightweight championship in the main event.

Time further stated that the United States Marine Band played catchy live tunes, putting its spin on ditties like “The Boys Are Back In Town” and “YMCA.” Military heroes and first responders from all over the country accompanied fighters to the Octagon.

The White House backdrop, fighters walking out of the Oval Office and down the West Wing for their introductions, the shots of the Washington monument, the massive crowd watching the fight together on the Ellipse, the fireworks: it all made for a compelling sports production.

The UFC spent about $60 million (£45m) on the event, including $700,000 for grass repairs afterwards on a lawn that hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll.

The UFC fight is one of several marquee events planned to mark the 250^th anniversary of the country, which will also include an IndyCar race around the National Mall later this summer and a “Great American State Fair” in July.

At the post-fight press conference, White credited his team, and the White House staff, for organizing the complicated logistics and security arrangement to pull off a successful South Lawn sporting event, and he hinted that Paramount, which is paying the UFC $7.7 billion over 7 years to stream its fights, was very happy with the viewership.

White said UFC Freedom 250 doubled the organization’s merchandise sales record for a single card.

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