President Trump announced the White House will host a UFC event in 2026 as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Speaking before a crowd at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday, Mr. Trump said he will use space on the White House grounds to host 25,000 spectators for the fight card.
“We’re going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events. But the UFC fight is going to be a big deal, too,” Mr. Trump said, adding the White House complex has “a lot of land there.”
“It’s going to be EPIC!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X.
UFC CEO Dana White echoed that on Instagram.
Mr. Trump has a long history with the mixed martial arts scene, going back to at least 2001 with the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Since then, he has attended numerous UFC bouts, including a bunch in Miami and one last month in Newark, New Jersey.
He has a close relationship with Mr. White, who introduced Mr. Trump at the Republican National Convention last summer.
While attending a fight in Miami in April, Mr. Trump became the first sitting president to attend a UFC bout and participated in the walkout ordinarily reserved for athletes.
Immediately following his electoral triumph in November, Mr. Trump attended a UFC fight in New York City, where he was given a massive ovation and shown a promotional video celebrating his victory.
