President Donald Trump is planning to host a UFC championship fight, attracting upwards of 20,000 fans, at the White House as part of a year's worth of events to celebrate 250 years of U.S. independence.
"Think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there," Trump, an enthusiast of the mixed martial arts sport and close friends with the league's president, Dana White, announced in Iowa Thursday.
"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," he further commented, adding that the UFC event would be a "full fight" and attract 20,000 to 25,000 people.
Trump said White will organize the event.
White helped introduce Trump during last summer's Republican National Convention, as well as taking the stage during Trump's victory party on election night.
The president's comments came during the kickoff for a year's worth of festivities that will celebrate America's 250th birthday, which will fall on July 4, 2026.
He also said there will be a festival to culminate the festivities, which he plans to hold on the National Mall in Washington, as well as a separate "Patriot Games" athletic competition, featuring high school athletes from around the country.
"We're going to have some incredible events," Trump said. "Some professional events, some amateur events. But the UFC fight is going to be a big deal, too."
A spokesperson at the White House said there are no details yet to share about the UFC event beyond what Trump said, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt later commented that Trump is "dead serious" about the plans.
Trump has recently enjoyed cage-side seats at several UFC fights, where he gets standing ovations when he appears. He attended one fight just after his 2024 reelection, and another in Miami in April, UFC 314, where he sat with White.
With information from wire reports.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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