UFC Fight Night At The White House Is Going To Happen

UFC CEO Dana White said that a fight night “is absolutely going to happen” at the White House on the Fourth of July next year. He is scheduled to make a trip to D.C. later this month to meet with President Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, to further discuss plans. White told the Associated Press, “It’s absolutely going to happen…Think about that, the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the UFC will be on the White House South Lawn live on CBS.” 

UFC At The White House Is Going To Happen

President Trump announced last month that he wanted a UFC fight at the White House with at least 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of independence in America. White has turned the company into a brand worth billions. It was a part of a $4 billion sale in 2016. He recently landed the TKO Group’s richest deal to date, which was a seven-year deal worth $1.1 billion per year with Paramount beginning in 2026. All U.S. cards will be available on Paramount+, and select events will simulcast on CBS. This will take place after previous deals with ESPN and Fox.  

“You have the NFL, the NBA, the UFC, and soccer globally,” White said. “We’re coming. We’re coming for all of them…This is a one-of-one event.” UFC officials are set to meet this week to discuss the loaded debut Paramount card. White shared that it was too early to talk about the potential main event at the White House. Former champion Conor McGregor has expressed his interest in being on the card. 

White said the new deal might mean finding new homes for “The Ultimate Fighter.” “Road to UFC,” and “Dana White’s Contender Series.” It is unknown if the usual 10:00 ET start for pay-per-view cards will stick around, especially when events are airing on CBS. 

Final Thoughts

The issue of fighter pay has always been brought up in the UFC. Regarding the new deal, White said, “It will affect fighter pay, big time. From deal to deal, fighter pay has grown, too. Every time we win, everybody wins.” 

Boxer Jake Paul has been outspoken about the issue of fair fighter pay within the pay-per-view model and posted to social media following the news. Paul wrote, “Every fighter in the UFC now has a clear picture of what the revenue is…no more PPV excuses. Get your worth, boys and girls.”

We’ve already seen boxing on Netflix, including the upcoming bout between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford on September 13, which White is also part of promoting. This is the streaming era. All of the major sports have reached deals with services, and now the UFC is showing how badly it wants to be known as “America’s sport.”