The UFC’s White House fight night will be given a similar level of security to the Super Bowl, it has emerged.
Around 90,000 fans are expected to attend the event on June 14, dubbed Freedom 250, which is being held on the South Lawn and forms part of celebrations to mark 250 years of American independence.
TMZ reports that the show has been given a Level 1 Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR), which is typically reserved for the Super Bowl and major marathons.
Security services will be tasked with keeping fighters and fans – which will include Donald Trump – safe at a time of heightened international tension given the conflict in the Middle East.
Trump attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February 2025, prompting an exhaustive security operation that involved the secret service, drones and rooftop snipers.
Other huge sporting events such as the Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby are typically given a lower rating of SEAR 2, TMZ reports, while the Masters at Augusta is a level 3 event.
The UFC’s White House fight night will be given a similar level of security to the Super Bowl
The UFC is putting on ‘UFC Freedom 250’ on the White House South Lawn on June 14
President Trump is a huge UFC fan – and a close friend of Dana White – and he pushed for mixed martial arts at the White House.
The vast majority of the 90,000 fans will not sit inside the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Instead, they will be housed at The Ellipse, a park nearby where seats and screens will be erected.
The event will be headlined by Justin Gaethje’s clash with Ilia Topuria and, a day earlier, there will be a UFC Fan Fest that has also been granted SEAR 1 status, according to TMZ.
SEAR ratings are determined, according to the Department of Homeland Security, based on ‘the threat, vulnerability, and consequences for each event.’
Level 1 security is given to ‘significant events with national and/or international importance that require extensive federal interagency support.’
For all SEAR 1 events, the government appoints a ‘Federal Coordination Team’ to ‘support local officials and assist them in accessing capabilities that are otherwise unavailable to them.’
These have included ‘explosive detection canine teams’ and ‘air security and tactical operations support.’
UFC Freedom 250 has divided sports fans, with some expressing concern over the fight card and possible safety issues. Trump last month responded to the backlash, insisting the event will be ‘amazing’ while praising the hard work of UFC chief White.
The event will be held on the south lawn of the White House, with extra seating on The Ellipse
In an interview with Jake Paul , Trump confirmed his plans to attend and said: ‘It’s going to be amazing at the White House.
‘And Dana [White] is a great guy… the best. I mean, there’s nobody like him.’
White revealed plans to issue 85,000 free tickets for the event and Trump said it was the UFC boss’ idea to bring a fight to ‘the front door of the White House.’
The president continued: ‘And he’s got a tremendous card. I don’t even know if it’s filled out, but I just saw it and it looks like it’s going to be all top guys. They all want to fight at the White House.
‘So it’s going to be in honor of the 250th year. It’ll be great.’
