TLDR
- UFC White House event takes place Sunday, June 14, 2026, with Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje as the main event
- Fight week begins Friday, June 12 with press conference at Lincoln Memorial at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Free tickets required for fan fest and watch party at the Ellipse, but none sold for actual White House event
- Expected crowd of 50,000 to 100,000 fans at the Ellipse with massive screens showing the fights
- Zac Brown Band will perform at ceremonial weigh-ins on Saturday night
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | mmamania.com | talksport.com
The UFC has released the full fight week schedule for its historic White House event scheduled for June 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The event will take place on the south lawn of the White House with lightweight champion Ilia Topuria facing interim champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout.
Because the event falls on a Sunday night, all fight week activities have been pushed back by one day from the usual schedule. The card, called UFC Freedom 250, will feature seven fights starting at 8 p.m. ET and will air on Paramount+ digital network.
The latest rendering of the White House event layout. pic.twitter.com/jAuMKqMmGZ
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 12, 2026
Fight Week Events Begin Friday
The fight week schedule kicks off Friday, June 12, with the UFC Freedom 250 pre-fight press conference at the Lincoln Memorial. The press conference starts at 8:30 p.m. ET with all 14 fighters from the card scheduled to appear.
On Saturday, June 13, the UFC hosts a fan fest at the Ellipse, a 52-acre park next to the White House. The fan fest begins at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The ceremonial weigh-ins take place Saturday evening at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Ellipse. Immediately following at 9:30 p.m. ET, the Zac Brown Band will perform a concert fueled by Monster Energy.
On Sunday, June 14, another fan fest starts at 3:30 p.m. ET at the Ellipse. The official watch party for the fight card also takes place at the Ellipse beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Free Tickets Required for Fan Events
No tickets are being sold to the actual UFC White House event, which will seat between 4,000 and 5,000 people. Instead, the watch party at the Ellipse will serve as the main fan destination for the event.
Tickets to the watch party and fan fest are free but require registration. Fans must register to receive consideration for tickets, with early access currently available through a unique ticket link sent out on Friday.
General public ticket access begins Thursday, April 21. Due to limited availability and expected high demand, fans are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
UFC CEO Dana White told Pat McAfee that 50,000 to 100,000 people are expected at the Ellipse. He said the organization is building large stages and massive screens to show the fights to the crowd.
Fans attending the events should expect hotels to be fully booked and transportation challenges throughout Washington, D.C. Planning ahead is recommended for those traveling to the nation’s capital.
The full seven-fight card includes Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane, Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi, Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler, Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus, Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia, and Derrick Lewis vs. Josh Hokit. The bout order for the event has not yet been revealed.
The ceremonial weigh-ins and all fight week events are open to fans who obtain free tickets through the registration system.
