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UFC CEO and president Dana White dismissed concerns that a planned White House fight card marking America’s 250th anniversary would be “too political,” saying “almost everyone on the roster” wants to compete.
In an interview with Bloomberg’s Romaine Bostick on Friday, White was asked if he thought it would be a challenge to get fighters to participate in the UFC event scheduled for June, fearing 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, noting that many presidents have had personal interests in various sports.
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“I mean, I don’t know how that would be too political other than it’s in the White House,” he replied with a laugh.
“Listen, if you look back through 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 the guys who are fans made any sport too political.”
White said his staff has the logistics of the event “diagnosed,” noting that about 5,000 will be made available to watch the games on the White House lawn, while another 85,000 people will be able to watch the games on big screens at The Ellipse.
US President Donald Trump attends the UFC 314 event with 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 will take over Washington, DC, the week of the fight.”
White went on to say that almost all of his fighters have expressed interest in participating in the event, but that no final decision has been made.
“Almost everyone on the roster wants to fight on the card. It’s a one-of-a-kind event. I mean, when will there ever be another fight or sporting event at the White House. It’s a history-making 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 with the president Monday in a suite at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., as the pair 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.
