Washington is known for its political fights, but President Donald Trump wants to bring a different kind of battle to the nation’s capital next year.
Trump, a big fan of mixed martial arts, said on Thursday that he is considering staging a UFC match on the grounds of the White House as part of July 4, 2026, festivities.
“We have a lot of land there,” Trump said while floating the idea during a rally in Iowa. The president was kicking off a year’s worth of events that will honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The president has attended several UFC events and is a close friend of the organization’s CEO, Dana White.
“Every one of our national park battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250,” Trump said at the “America 250” event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. “We’re going to have a UFC fight -- think of this -- on the grounds of the White House.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the president’s comments, adding that Trump is “dead serious.”
“We are in discussions with the White House about hosting a UFC event on site,” a UFC official told CNN, adding they had no additional details to share.
Trump’s friendship with White dates to at least 2001, when the UFC executive was trying to secure an event. Trump agreed to host a card at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In April, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a UFC event when he appeared in Miami. Last month, the president attended a UFC show in Newark, New Jersey.
Shortly after winning reelection in November, Trump attended a UFC fight in New York City.
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