Trump’s Bringing UFC to the White House in 2026

President Donald Trump of the United States has frequently been in the front row at UFC bouts, most recently at UFC 316 in New Jersey in June.  He now wants to have a UFC event on the lawn of the White House.

The UFC on the lawn of the White House

The celebration will be place in honor of America's 250th birthday, Trump told an audience yesterday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, adding that he anticipates 25,000 people to attend.

"Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re gonna have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there,” he said. “We’re not going to build a little, we’re not, Dana is going to do it, a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight. We’re going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events. But the UFC fight is going to be a big deal.”

Expect up to 25,000, Trump says

On the grounds of the White House, the UFC would build an octagon.  White, the CEO of the UFC, is close to Trump and always goes to UFC live events with him.  Last summer, White gave a speech in favor of Trump at the Republican Convention.

White made the news with Trump at UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey, when he joined TikTok in June 2024 and amassed millions of followers after creating the account.

“The president is now on TikTok,” White said. Trump responded: “It’s my honor.”

The UFC CEO Is a Strong Trump Supporter

Plans are underway, and specifics will be revealed soon, a UFC representative informed Variety.

“It’s going to be EPIC!” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X.

The event has not yet been confirmed by a statement from UFC.

Before White, a show including Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title fight versus Sean O'Malley (Dvalishvili won), and a women's bantamweight title fight between Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison, Trump entered a roaring ring at UFC 316.  Harrison came into the crown to shake Trump's hand and put the belt around him after he won the battle via submission.

A live UFC White House event with highly regarded UFC bouts might increase betting, though it's obviously too early to predict and difficult to measure.

“Personally, with the variables involved, such as Donald Trump, outside set up and most crucially, bouts likely to be PPV level, then surely we would expect above average business,” said Mark Collier, a trader with BetVictor.