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UFC CEO and president Dana White brushed off concerns that a planned White House fight card to mark America’s 250th birthday would be “too political,” saying “almost everyone on the roster” wanted to compete.
In an interview with Bloomberg’s Romaine Bostick White was asked on Friday if he thought it would be a challenge to get fighters to compete in the UFC event scheduled for June, for fear it would be “too political” or have “too many political overtones.”
UFC President Dana White in attendance during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
White, a longtime friend and supporter of President Donald Trump, dismissed the concern, pointing out that many presidents have personal interests in various sports.
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“I mean, I don’t know how that could be too political except in the White House,” he responded with a laugh.
“Look, if you look at history, I think [former President] George Bush was a big baseball fan, [former President Barack] Obama was an NBA fan and Trump is a UFC fan. I don’t think any of these fans have become too political of a sport.”
White said his staff has the logistics of the event “connected,” and noted that about 5,000 people will be available to watch the fights on the White House lawn while an additional 85,000 people will be able to watch the fights on the big screen at The Ellipse.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the UFC 314 event alongside UFC President and CEO Dana White at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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“We’re going to take Washington, D.C., fight week.”
White added that almost all of his fighters have expressed interest in participating in the event, but no final decisions have been made.
“Almost everyone on the roster wants to fight on the card. It’s a one-time special event. I mean, when will there be another fight or another sporting event at the White House. It’s a historic event and we’ll see how this year goes with different fighters and – you want the biggest, the best, and you want the card to be great.”
UFC President and CEO Dana White reacts during a bantamweight bout between Adrian Luna Martinetti of Ecuador and Mark Vologdin of Russia during Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, week nine at UFC APEX on October 7, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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White sat alongside the president Monday in a suite at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., as the two men watched the Indiana Hoosiers capture the first national title in program history with a victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff championship game.
