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UFC Freedom 250 is fast approaching after nearly a year of planning, and President Donald Trump has given fans a first look at renderings of what the octagon on the South Lawn will look like.
On Wednesday, Trump had the co-main event fighters behind him in the Oval Office: Alex Pereira will face Cyril Gane, while Justin Gaethje will face Ilia Topuria.
While welcoming the fighters, Trump showed photos of what the event will look like, with the White House in the background and 4,000 seats close together surrounding the octagon.
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President Donald Trump meets with UFC fighters Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026 to discuss the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event outside the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
There will also be a makeshift arch covering the fighters which will be lit.
I’m a huge sports fan – there’s no one tougher in sports than those behind me. These are the most difficult. I know them all,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump said the “big fight” would be “the greatest show on earth.” He also said more than 100,000 people will be able to watch the fights in Washington, D.C., on eight large screens near the White House.
President Donald Trump attends the UFC 327 event with UFC President Dana White at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 11, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
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“What an incredible honor…To have a president willing to go against norms and standards is truly special. That’s why you got my vote. And that’s why we’re such a great nation right now compared to where we were,” Gaethje said.
Gaethje also credited Trump for the UFC’s popularity today, saying they would be “10 years behind” without Trump’s support in the early ’90s, when the UFC struggled to be a mainstay due to its violent nature.
Trump announced the event on July 3 last year and UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the event the following month. It was announced in October that the event would take place on June 14, Trump’s 80th birthday as well as Flag Day.
The event is part of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and an IndyCar race will also take place this summer as part of the America250 celebration.
President Donald Trump met with UFC fighters Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026 to discuss the UFC Freedom 250 match scheduled for June 14 in front of the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Michael Chandler will face Mauricio Ruffy, and other fighters listed on the card include Bo Nickal and Sean O’Malley.
