TLDR
- UFC plans historic event at White House on June 14, 2026, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary
- President Trump announced 8-9 championship fights planned, more than doubling the current UFC record of three title bouts
- Arena will seat 5,000-6,000 fans in front of the White House with 100,000 watching on large screens behind
- Dana White is holding back fights for six months to save them for this event
- Fighters including Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, and Islam Makhachev have expressed interest in competing
UFC to Host Historic White House Event with Eight Championship Fights in 2026
The UFC is preparing to stage an unprecedented event at the White House on June 14, 2026. President Donald Trump revealed details about the card during the 48th Kennedy Center Honors Gala on Sunday.
The event will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Trump announced that the card will feature eight or nine championship fights.
This number would more than double the current UFC record. No UFC event has ever featured more than three title bouts on a single card.
The most recent three-title card took place at UFC 300 in April 2024. The UFC currently has 12 championship belts across its weight divisions.
Event Setup and Venue Details
Dana White is overseeing construction of a temporary arena directly in front of the White House. The venue will accommodate 5,000 to 6,000 seated fans.
An additional 100,000 spectators will watch from behind the arena. The UFC plans to install eight to 10 large screens for these fans.
Trump described the scale of the event during his remarks. “This is going to be something you’ve never seen before,” he said.
White is deliberately postponing certain fights to preserve them for this card. Trump confirmed that the UFC CEO is “holding back fights right now for six months” specifically for the White House event.
The promotion has not begun matchmaking for the card yet. White stated that planning will start in early 2026, likely in February or March.
Fighter Interest and Potential Matchups
Several high-profile fighters have called for spots on the historic card. UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, the current pound-for-pound number one fighter, has expressed interest.
Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira also wants to compete at the event. Conor McGregor has publicly campaigned for a place on the card.
McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh told media in November that the Irish fighter is “already beginning our training” for a potential White House bout. A matchup against Michael Chandler appears most likely for McGregor.
Jon Jones has pushed for inclusion on the card. However, White has repeatedly dismissed the idea of featuring the former two-division champion at the event.
White emphasized that the UFC will focus on quality matchmaking. “It’s not America vs. the world,” he recently said. “It’s, ‘What’s the best card we can build?'”
Trump noted that demand for tickets has been extremely high. “So many people are asking for tickets,” the President said during his announcement.
