While speaking at an event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that the White House will host a UFC event in 2026 feature a championship fight.
“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,” Trump said to those in attendance.
The event will take place on the White House grounds with the capacity to accommodate up to 25,000 spectators.
“We’re going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little, we’re not, Dana’s [White] going to do it. Dana’s great. One of a kind,” continued Trump.
“We’re going to have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people. And we’re going to do that as part of 250 also. 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, too.”
President Donald Trump announced UFC fights at The White House pic.twitter.com/Bp1oGdGlF3
— MMAWeekly (@MMAWeeklycom) July 4, 2025
Trump’s relationship with the fight promotion and UFC CEO Dana White dates back decades. UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk took place at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City in February 2001. The venue also hosted UFC 31: Locked and Loaded three months later.
Trump has attended several UFC events including UFC 302, UFC 309, and UFC 314 in Miami in April. White spoke on the Trump campaign trail at rallies leading up to last November’s election and introduced Trump on the stage on the final night of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
It’s unclear whether the planned event will take place indoor or outdoor or if it will be a Fight Night event or a pay-per-view.
