Brett Okamoto
Multiple Authors
The UFC is expected to host the first live professional sporting event on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14. That is more than four months away, but interest in the event is already high because of UFC CEO Dana White’s promise to put on a “one-of-one event” that he believes will be “the most-watched UFC event ever.” It will be simulcast on CBS and Paramount+.
Logistical details have been trickling out for months and will continue as the date draws closer, including the looming announcement of which fighters will compete. White indicated that he and his matchmaking team were meeting Tuesday to begin structuring the lineup.
Here’s what we know about the White House event as of now, with much more to come.
Whose idea was the event?
White has credited President Donald Trump with the idea to stage fights at the nation’s capital, and acknowledged his own hesitancy, historically, to pursue outdoor events with difficult logistics.
Trump, a longtime MMA fan who has staged UFC events at his properties since the early days of the company, initially teased the idea in July 2025 during an event in Iowa to kick off the yearlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday. White has said his team wasn’t aware Trump planned to announce the news that day but that initial conversations already had taken place. The following month, White announced via social media the White House event was “done,” following a meeting with Trump in Washington.
Who is leading the planning and matchmaking?
The UFC has been working closely with government officials for months on the logistics of the event. UFC chief content officer Craig Borsari, who oversaw the $20 million Noche UFC production at the Las Vegas Sphere in 2024, has met with White House operations staff “10 times now” to fully plan out the logistics, according to White. He has repeatedly referenced a video rendering of the White House grounds with the Octagon included. He says the model lays out how the production will look in space, down to where the trees are situated on the lawn and which way the sun will hit the Octagon at any point during the day.
White is overseeing the matchmaking process led by chief financial officer Hunter Campbell and matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard. White indicated Tuesday via social media that the group “will have fights dialed in by this weekend.”
Who is paying for the cost of White House renovations for the event?
White has said in multiple interviews, including with Sports Business Journal, that taxpayer money will not be used to handle any costs of the event and that the UFC is handling the entire bill.
He has stated that merely replacing the grass of the South Lawn after the event will cost between $700,000 and $1 million. He called the reported $20 million spent on Noche UFC at the Sphere “ashtray money” compared to the estimated cost of the White House event.
How many fights will be on the card when it is announced?
TKO Group CEO and executive chairman Ari Emanuel appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Feb. 6 and revealed the card would have a total of “six or seven fights,” compared to a 13-fight slate for most UFC numbered events. The UFC has not definitively commented on how many titles will be on the line, but the promotion has never promoted a card with more than three title fights. White has only said it will be “the card that people expect” for the White House.
In terms of when the lineup could be announced, the unique circumstances of the event make it hard to predict. The UFC announced its first main event of the new Paramount+ broadcast deal during halftime of CBS’ Thanksgiving broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, but the majority of recent fight announcements have come via White’s social media.
The UFC has its next numbered event on March 7 in Las Vegas, where it could take the opportunity to announce some or all of the White House matchups. Of course, the matchups could always come from Trump at any time, as we have seen throughout the planning of the event, going back to July 2025.
How many people will attend, and can tickets be purchased?
The UFC has not revealed its entire plans for live spectators, but White has said there will be approximately 5,000 spectators at the White House, with space for another 80,000 fans at the Ellipse, a nearby park. White has said tickets for the South Lawn seats will not be available for purchase and will instead be comped to members of the military. The ceremonial weigh-ins are expected to take place at the Lincoln Memorial.
Who will be the sanctioning body for the event?
The District of Columbia Combat Sports Commission, the same sanctioning body that oversees all boxing and MMA events in the area. The UFC has held two previous events in Washington, at Capital One Arena in 2011 and 2019.
That’s been one of the most-asked questions since the event was announced.
McGregor, 37, and Jones, 38, have repeatedly expressed interest in fighting at the White House. McGregor has made numerous social media posts in the past about unfinished business with Michael Chandler, who he was scheduled to face in 2024 but withdrew from because of injury. He has not referenced specific opponents since White publicly stated he is no longer interested in McGregor vs. Chandler. Jones, who retired briefly last year before returning in hopes of fighting at the White House has targeted current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
When the event was first discussed in July 2025, White said his dream matchup would be Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight championship, but later said he couldn’t trust Jones to headline the event due to his previous track record of inconsistency with legal issues and positive drug tests. Jones recently was filmed telling another UFC fighter that he has “severe arthritis” in his left hip, but did not indicate that would keep him from campaigning for White House inclusion.
White has been neutral on McGregor’s involvement, only confirming his positive relationship with McGregor and saying the card would come together in February. Two weeks ago, McGregor posted a video from his Ireland gym, insisting that he is in training to fight this year.
McGregor hasn’t fought since he suffered a broken leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021. He received an 18-month suspension in October from the UFC anti-doping program Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) for missing drug testing three times in 2024. The suspension was to be served retroactively to September 2024, though, making him eligible to compete after March 20. Jones has not fought since he defended the heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic in November 2024.
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