UFC confirms plan to accept Donald Trump's invitation, hold event at White House

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he plans to host a UFC event on the White House premises next year to celebrated the United States’ 250th birthday. Less than 24 hours later, a UFC spokesperson confirmed Trump’s announcement to NBC.

“We’re going to have a UFC fight,” Trump said, via the New York Post. “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 (White) is going to do it. Dana is great, one of a kind — going to be UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20,000 to 25,000 people.”

Trump is a massive UFC friend and a close friend of UFC president Dana White. In fact, White spoke at the Republican National Convention and endorsed Trump last year during the election cycle.

Trump regularly attends UFC fights. Fighters often greet him after wins and thank him for attending their bouts. After Jon Jones — arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time — defeated Stipe Miocic last November, he celebrated by doing the “Trump Dance” in front of the president.

More recently, Kayla Harrison ran outside the Octagon and hugged Trump after winning the Bantamweight Women’s World Championship. Fighters like Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal and Conor McGregor have also voiced their support for Trump in the past. McGregor doubled down on his support for Trump this past week, posting about his desire to be a part of the UFC event at the White House.

“Excited with President Trump announcing a UFC fight event at the White House,” McGregor wrote on X. “I would be honoured! Count me in!”

The UFC has only ever hosted two events in Washington, D.C., once in 2011 and once in 2019. However, with White’s connection to Trump, it’s not far-fetched to believe fighters will be squaring off on the most famous lawn in America next summer.

“Nobody in the Trump campaign has ever told me what to say. Nobody tells me what to say, and I’m nobody’s puppet,” White said about Trump last year. “I’m not telling you what to think. I’m telling you what I know. And I know President Trump. I know President Trump is a fighter.

“I’ve been saying this since 2015. Now look at what’s happened over the last 10 years. We have all seen it with our own eyes. I’m in the tough guy business, and this man is the toughest, most resilient human being that I’ve ever met in my life.”