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UFC fighter Brandon Royval has discussed the idea of fighting at the White House as part of the Trump administration’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America.
UFC President Dana White had already promised the “biggest fight card ever assembled” for the eventual card that would take place on the White House lawn next June.
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Brandon Royval enters the Octagon during the UFC 317 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
It’s safe to say, based on Royval’s comments during a podcast Monday, that fans could count on the 33-year-old Colorado native.
“I don’t care about fighting in the fucking White House,” he said on “In the Arena.” “I want to fight in front of big crowds, bro. It’s like, how big can the White House even be a stadium? Is that outside too?
“I don’t care about any of our political figures right now, and it’s like fighting in front of them is like some fucking ‘Hunger Games’ bullshit. I don’t care about fighting in front of fucking billionaires and rich people who might give a fuck about me. I’m probably talking. F— you guys. I want to fight in front of people who are fans of ‘Raw Dawg,’ or fans of MMA, and who can identify with me. I’m not trying to fight in front of these fucking assholes, in my opinion.
Royval added that he had no interest in impressing presidents.
June 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Brandon Royval (red gloves) before the fight against Joshua Van (blue gloves) at UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images)
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“None of them. I really don’t want to go fight in the White House to be honest. Besides, I’m too Mexican. ICE is suspiciously arresting motherfuckers, and I don’t know. Who knows, bro? Next thing you know, I’m in Mexico and I don’t speak Spanish.”
White said in October that by February the card would be ready for the June showcase.
Although White answered many questions about this one-of-a-kind destination, he said the idea is still in the preliminary stages.
“We always talk about production and how everything is going to work at the White House,” he said. “We haven’t started negotiating fights for the White House yet.”
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As for Royval, he is scheduled to face Manel Kape in the main event of UFC Vegas 112 on December 13 in a flyweight bout.
