President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday that the “big” UFC event on the White House grounds will take place on June 14, 2026.
Trump teased the event during a speech in Norfolk, Virginia, to commemorate the Navy’s 250th anniversary.
“And on June 14, next year, we’re going to have a big UFC fight at the White House, right at the White House on the grounds,” the president told the crowd of sailors.
The date is notable because the UFC event, which Trump has been a frequent attendee of in the past, is also the president’s 80th birthday. UFC CEO Dana White previously said the fight would take place on July 4 as part of the celebrations for the U.S.’s 250th birthday.
The closer date comes as White, a close friend of Trump’s, is grappling with the challenges of hosting the mixed martial arts event, almost all of which take place indoors, on the South Lawn.
“There is no doubt about it, this is going to be the most challenging event we have ever done,” White said last week. “I’m coming off a stadium event, which I don’t like stadiums, to the thing that I hate the most in outdoor events.”
He is also expecting the event to cause considerable damage to the White House grounds, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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“This is just one little piece I was talking about last night: To replace the grass, because we’re going to f*** up the South Lawn, $700,000 just to replace the grass,” White said.
The event’s card is still being determined, with White signaling that talks with possible fighters won’t begin until February 2026. He did, however, reveal that UFC legend Conor McGregor, who recently ended his Irish presidential bid, is “very fired up to fight on that card.”
