Former President Donald Trump has expressed his desire for UFC CEO Dana White to construct an Octagon on the grounds of the White House.
Since its establishment in 1993, the UFC has hosted events in numerous locations globally, ranging from its initial show in Denver, Colorado, to recent appearances in places like Azerbaijan. However, Las Vegas, utilizing venues such as T-Mobile Arena or the cost-effective UFC Apex, remains the promotion`s most frequent destination.
Last year, the UFC held an event at the `Sphere` during Noche UFC/UFC 306, showcasing possibilities for future venues. The Las Vegas Sphere event was notably expensive for the UFC, with production costs reportedly exceeding $20 million.
Looking ahead to the latter half of 2025, it appears the White House is now being considered as a potential site for a UFC event.
President Donald Trump Announces Potential White House UFC Event
Known for his long-standing friendship with UFC CEO Dana White, Donald Trump has been a fan of mixed martial arts for years and even ran his own fight promotion previously.
Less than a month after attending UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, President Trump revealed during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds that the White House is set to host a UFC event. The proposed date is July 4, 2026, intended as part of the celebrations for the United States` 250th birthday.
Trump stated, “We’re gonna have a UFC fight… Think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We’re gonna build a little, we’re not, Dana’s gonna do it… Dana is great… Gonna have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like, 25,000 people.”
He added, “We’re gonna do that as part of 250 also. We’re gonna have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events, but the UFC fight’s gonna be a big deal.”
Current State of American Champions in the UFC
In 2016, the year Donald Trump initially became president, the UFC featured 14 champions from the United States.
Nearly a decade later, there has been a significant shift. Following Jon Jones` recent retirement, there are currently no American male champions in the UFC. Ohio`s Kayla Harrison is the sole remaining American champion.
Harrison, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo and former PFL lightweight champion, successfully captured the women`s bantamweight title at UFC 316. Despite a challenging weight cut, she defeated Julianna Pena via submission in the co-main event.
After her victory, Harrison secured a potential superfight against the legendary Amanda Nunes and garnered national attention when she wrapped her newly won UFC belt around President Trump, who was cageside at the event.
This highly anticipated matchup between Harrison and Nunes, potentially one of the biggest fights in women`s MMA history, could be considered for a future UFC event held at the White House.
