Trump to host UFC fight at White House next month
Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced plans for a major UFC fight event at the White House next month, calling it “the greatest show on earth” as he stood alongside some of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars in the Oval Office.
The event, scheduled for June 14, will feature leading UFC fighters competing on the White House grounds before thousands of spectators.
“We’re having a big fight,” Trump said on Wednesday (Local time). “It’s never going to happen again, never happened before.”
Trump said about 4,000 seats would be installed directly outside the White House, while giant viewing screens would accommodate crowds estimated between 75,000 and 100,000 people nearby.
“This will be the greatest show on earth,” Trump declared.
The President appeared alongside UFC stars including Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
Trump repeatedly praised the fighters as “real warriors” and “the greatest fighters in the world”.
Gaethje credited Trump with helping UFC gain mainstream acceptance during its early years.
“You gave us a chance to fight in your property,” Gaethje told Trump. “I think we’d be 10 years behind if it wasn’t for you.”
Trump recalled how the UFC once struggled to find venues because the sport was viewed as excessively violent.
“They couldn’t get any arenas because it was so violent,” Trump said. “I was able to give them, I guess, the first four or five fights.”
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz described the White House card as “the most watched sports event on planet Earth”.
Several fighters used the event to describe their personal journeys and praise the opportunities they found in America.
“America is the dream,” Abdelaziz said.
Gaethje said many fighters came from modest backgrounds and viewed the sport as a merit-based path to success.
“None of us comes from opportunity or wealth,” he said. “Everybody has an opportunity.”
Trump also suggested the White House fight could become one of the largest public events ever hosted at the presidential residence.
“I think it’s going to be the biggest event we’ve ever had at the White House,” he said.
The UFC has evolved into one of the world’s fastest-growing sports businesses, with a major international following across the United States, Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia.