Donald Trump has revealed the historic UFC card taking place at the White House is set to go ahead on June 14 next year – which will be his 80th birthday.
The President made the announcement during a speech at Naval Station Norfolk to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy on Sunday.
He had announced in July that a UFC event would take place at the White House in 2026, but did not give a date. Early July, when America will celebrate its 250th birthday, was initially floated as a potential date.
Trump counts UFC chief Dana White as a close friend and considers fans of the sport part of his political base, although their ties long predate his presidency.
White this week told the Sports Business Journal that the UFC will spend $700k to replace the South Lawn grass at the White House after the event.
Since becoming president, Trump has been a regular attendee at UFC fights, most recently attending one in New Jersey in June. But the relationship between him and White goes back to 2000, when the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was one of the few US venues willing to host UFC events at the time.
Donald Trump has revealed the historic UFC White House card will go ahead on his birthday
Trump, who will turn 80, announced the date at the US Navy’s 250th anniversary celebration
White recently announced that fighters competing on the White House card will make their entrances from Trump’s Oval Office, before heading out the Octagon in front of an expected 5,000 fans.
‘The fights will happen on the South Lawn of the White House,’ he confirmed during a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson’s Nightcap podcast.
‘Do you know what is probably the most bada** thing about that?’ the UFC President continued. ‘The fighters will actually walk from the Oval Office into the Octagon.’
White said there will be fewer than 5,000 fans in attendance, but up to 85,000 people may be able to access a viewing area. Conor McGregor is poised to be one of the headline names competing on the night.
‘We’ll build the greatest card of all time,’ he added before saying about McGregor, ‘Conor and I have been talking consistently, he wants this fight bad and when you get to a level that Conor is at you have to find things that motivate you, and the White House card has definitely motivated Conor McGregor.’
Earlier this week, McGregor claimsed his long-awaited UFC comeback is now a ‘done deal’ as he prepares to return on the White House card – which will take place almost five years since his last outing.
‘Done deal, signed, delivered. It ain’t a negotiation. It’s a done deal, signed, delivered,’ the former two-weight UFC champion said on Fox News this week.
‘McGregor will compete in the White House alongside the President and President Trump’s administration.’
The historic show will see just under 5,000 fans pack onto the White House lawn next year
Conor McGregor will return on the historic card being hosted by Trump at the White House
McGregor, who visited the White House himself to meet Trump back in March, recently claimed that an eye watering $100million fee and 100 of the President’s ‘gold card visas’ – an authorization costing $1m each which grants lawful permanent residence in the United States – has persuaded him to end his retirement next year.
The Irishman’s last UFC bout came all the way back in July 2021, when he suffered a gruesome broken leg in a trilogy defeat to bitter rival Dustin Poirier.
He has teased a return to the Octagon on frequent occasions over the years, with a scheduled battle against Michael Chandler falling by the wayside last year.
But now McGregor says he and White have finally agreed terms for his comeback, which could well come against Chandler at last.
‘Me and Dana are in constant communication, we’ve done incredible business together,’ he added on Fox. ‘I’m the highest-generating fighter of all time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. They’ve just signed a breathtaking deal with Paramount, where we go to cable TV. $7.7billion that deal was approved for.
‘Ready to rock, baby. Bring in the big dog, the Mac G.’
