Dana White says UFC will host first-ever White House fight on July 4: "It is definitely going to happen"

CBS News

4 days ago

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will stage a historic fight at the White House on July 4, 2026, marking America's 250th birthday with what would be the first professional mixed martial arts event ever held at the presidential residence, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday.
"It is definitely going to happen," White told "CBS Mornings."
White said he spoke with President Donald Trump Monday night about the event and plans to meet with Mr. Trump and Ivanka Trump at the end of this month to finalize details and review venue renderings. A source familiar with the planning confirmed that the White House expected the event to happen.
"When he called me and asked me to do it, he said, 'I want Ivanka in the middle of this,'" White said. "So Ivanka reached out to me, and her and I started talking about the possibilities, where it would be and, you know, I put together all the renderings."
The announcement comes as UFC finalizes a groundbreaking seven-year streaming deal with Paramount worth an average of $1.1 billion annually. The agreement represents a significant shift from UFC's traditional pay-per-view model, with select events to be simulcast on CBS.
White called the Paramount deal "one of the massive, major milestones in my career and in the history of the sport."
White said the media world is changing but believes pay-per-view is still strong.
"I don't know if there's a better way," White said. "There are so many disruptors in the world right now. Who would have thought taxi cabs would disappear or cable television would start to go away?"
White said that UFC will continue hosting pay-per-view events, including one scheduled for Saturday in Chicago, while embracing streaming platforms for broader reach.
"Live sports, you have to watch live. You have to tune in. It is a destination watch," he said. "Sports are a big deal to these streaming services."
No fighters have been announced for the White House event, which White said remains nearly a year away. The venue would mark an unprecedented location for a professional mixed martial arts event that regularly fills stadiums and arenas.
The Paramount deal places UFC alongside other major sporting events broadcast on CBS, including the Masters Tournament, NCAA Final Four and Super Bowl.
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, is the parent company of CBS News.