President Donald Trump on Thursday said he plans to host a UFC fight on White House grounds as he kicked off a series of events to mark America’s 250th anniversary next year.
“Every one of our national park battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250,” Trump said at the “America 250” event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on the eve of the Fourth of July, adding: “We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans, adding that the president is “dead serious.”
“We are in discussions with the White House about hosting a UFC event on site,” A UFC official told CNN, adding they had no additional details to share at this time.
Trump has longstanding ties to the UFC organization and its CEO Dana White.
Trump’s friendship with White goes back to at least 2001, when White was struggling to secure a venue for a UFC fight and Trump agreed to host it at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
White went on to emerge as a key surrogate for Trump in 2024, and Trump chose White to introduce him at the Republican National Convention last July.
Last month, the president attended a UFC event in Newark, New Jersey. And while attending a fight in Miami in April, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a UFC event, also participating in the “walkout” traditionally reserved for athletes.
Months earlier, shortly after his victory in November, Trump attended a UFC fight in New York City, where he was cheered upon his arrival to a ringside seat, feted with a special video celebrating his win.
Thursday’s announcement, like his previous appearances at UFC events, highlights the alignment between the mixed martial arts brand and the young men who helped propel Trump back to the White House.
Trump, who has long styled himself a “fighter,” successfully tapped into the male-oriented podcast sphere during his 2024 campaign. Many such podcasters discuss physical fitness, promote traditional traits of masculinity and often share a deep appreciation for mixed martial arts, specifically UFC.
At Thursday’s event, Trump added that the festivities for the country’s milestone birthday would also include other professional and amateur sporting events.
High school athletes will participate in what Trump called the “Patriot Games,” a televised competition led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, the president previewed.
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
