Trump wants to celebrate 250 years of independence with UFC at White House

DES MOINES, Iowa — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he's thinking of staging a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards of 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence. "We have a lot of land there," said Trump, a UFC enthusiast who has attended several of its mixed martial arts matches in recent months and is close friends with Dana White, the league's president. Trump announced his plan in Iowa during the kickoff for a year's worth of festivities to celebrate America's 250th birthday July 4, 2026. The Republican president also announced a culminating festival on the National Mall in Washington, and a separate athletic competition featuring high school athletes from across the country. "So every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250. And I even think we're going to have a UFC fight," Trump said. "Think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there," he said, adding that it would be a "full fight" with 20,000 to 25,000 people. A White House spokesperson said they had no details to share beyond the president's announcement, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said Trump was "dead serious" about those plans. Trump has recently enjoyed standing ovations and cage-side seats for several UFC fights, including an appearance immediately after his 2024 reelection and another just last month alongside White for two championship fights.