Trump plans to celebrate 250 years of independence with a UFC fight at the White House

“We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said Thursday night in Iowa

Rachel Dobkin,Darlene Superville,Hannah Fingerhut

Friday 04 July 2025 03:08 BST

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President Donald Trump has announced his plans for a UFC fight at the White House to celebrate 250 years of American independence.

While talking about the special events the country will hold in the year-long countdown to its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, Trump told a crowd of Iowans Thursday night, “I even think we’re gonna have a UFC fight.”

“We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there,” he said. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

Trump said it will be “a championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people.”

President Donald Trump has announced his plans for a UFC fight at the White House to celebrate 250 years of American independence (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The president has attended several UFC fights in recent months and is close friends with Dana White, the president of the mixed martial arts organization.

Trump was in Iowa to kick off America’s milestone birthday celebrations happening all over the country this year and next.

The president announced a culminating festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and a separate athletic competition featuring high school athletes from across the country.

A White House spokesperson said they had no details to share beyond the president's announcement.

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.

The president also celebrated the passage of his tax and spending bill during his speech, saying it provided the “largest tax cut in American history.”

The bill, which had strong opposition from Democrats over its cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, will be signed by Trump Friday afternoon.

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Trump plans to celebrate 250 years of independence with a UFC fight at the White House

“We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said Thursday night in Iowa

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