Donald Trump plans to host a fight on the White House lawn in what would be another first for a United States presidency.
UFC chief Dana White has confirmed that an event will be hosted on the South Lawn on July 4, 2026, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary of independence.
The fight night will be aired live on CBS as part of UFC’s new $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount.
“It is definitely 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,” White told CBS Mornings this week.
NEW: The White House will be hosting a UFC fight on the South Lawn on July 4, 2026, according to Dana White.
The plans will be finalized later this month, said White who spoke with CBS Mornings.
“It is definitely going to happen… Think about that, the 250th birthday of the… pic.twitter.com/W85w7rTcMk
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He is scheduled to meet with the President and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, on August 28 to discuss plans.
Trump first voiced the idea this July 4th while speaking in Iowa, claiming that, “We’re going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. Championship fight—full fight.”
“When [Trump] called me and asked me to do it, he said, ‘I want Ivanka in the middle of this’. So Ivanka reached out to me, and … I started talking about the possibilities,” the UFC president explained.
White added that fighters may warm up inside the White House, making the event an even bigger spectacle.
Ivanka will be one of the main people responsible for making the event happen.
Most people would be interested in the fight card, but such details remain unknown, although there is some speculation over involvement from Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.
Of course, hosting such an event at said venue comes with its own special set of challenges. Transporting and assembling the UFC Octagon is chief among them, as it weighs around 25,000 pounds and will need to be placed where viewers would see the White House in the background. Seating is also expected to be limited.
If all goes smoothly, the White House lawn fight would mark the first professional sporting competition ever hosted on the grounds.
Details such as the card, tickets, and viewing arrangements will be published in the months leading up to the event.