President Donald Trump: UFC White House card to have '8 or 9 championship fights'

The expectations for 2026’s UFC White House card continue to grow. Speaking Sunday at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors Gala in Washington D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump said the June card will feature «eight or nine championship fights» — a staggering number that more than doubles the record for title bouts on a UFC event — and that UFC CEO Dana White is «actually holding back fights right now for six months so he can do it for this» White House event.

Said President Trump:

“It’s a big deal. The UFC on June 14th — it’s going to be June 14th next year, and they’re building an arena. The great Dana White is building an arena, and they’re going to have eight or nine championship fights, the biggest fights they’ve ever had. Every one is a championship fight and every one is a legendary type of fight. He’s actually holding back fights right now for six months so he can do it for this 250 [celebration]. I think 250 is going to be amazing. I think the arena is going to be 5,000 or 6,000 seats, right in front of the front door of the White House, and 100,000 people in the back, where they’re putting up eight or 10 very big screens. That’s going to be an exciting night. So many people are asking for tickets for UFC.”

No UFC event of the modern era has ever featured more than three title bouts — the most recent example of which took place in April 2024 for the UFC’s big tricentennial show, UFC 300.

Advertisement

Numerous UFC champions and big names have called for the opportunity to fight on the historic June 14 event, including Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, and the sport’s current pound-for-pound No. 1, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.

Jones’ ongoing push for a UFC White House slot does not appear promising — White has repeatedly quashed the idea of trusting the former two-division champ with such an important opportunity — however McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh told Uncrowned in November that the Irish star is «already beginning our training» for a potential White House bout, most likely against Michael Chandler.

More from Uncrowned

White has consistently brushed off questioning about matchmaking for his promotion’s Washington D.C. showcase, insiting the UFC won’t begin planning the card until early 2026. He did, however, note the UFC is aiming to put on a lineup stacked with quality bouts rather than sticking to a patriotic theme.

Advertisement

«It’s not America vs. the world,» White recently said. «It’s, ‘What’s the best card we can build?’”