UFC to Host Historic Fight at White House on July 4, 2026, Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will hold its first-ever professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fight at the White House on July 4, 2026, in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. UFC President Dana White confirmed the groundbreaking event during an appearance on CBS Mornings, stating definitively, “It is definitely going to happen.”
Plans for the event have rapidly gained momentum after President Donald Trump expressed interest in hosting a UFC fight on the White House grounds. Trump, a longtime UFC fan and friend of Dana White, unveiled the idea last year during the launch of the country’s 2026 birthday celebrations. “We’re going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there,” Trump said at the time.
White revealed that initial discussions have advanced to a stage where he plans to meet President Trump and Ivanka Trump later this month to finalize details and review venue renderings for the event. According to White, President Trump emphasized the involvement of Ivanka Trump, stating, “I want Ivanka in the middle of this,” which led to collaboration between Ivanka and White to explore the possibilities for the event’s location and setup.
The planned fight night will mark a significant milestone in UFC history as the first professional MMA event held at the presidential residence. The White House is expected to become a unique venue accommodating thousands of spectators on its south lawn, transforming the traditional Independence Day celebration into something unprecedented. Sources close to the planning efforts have confirmed the event is expected to take place as scheduled in 2026.
This announcement coincides with UFC closing a landmark streaming deal with Paramount worth approximately $1.1 billion per year over seven years, signaling major growth and increased visibility for the sport. Thirteen marquee UFC events and 30 fight nights will now be televised via Paramount+ with select events also simulcast on CBS, moving away from UFC’s classic pay-per-view model. Dana White called this deal “one of the massive, major milestones in my career and in the history of the sport.”
As July 4, 2026 approaches, anticipation is building for a patriotic spectacle that combines America’s national celebrations with a historic sporting event right at the nation’s capital. The UFC fight at the White House promises to be a landmark event that honors the country’s heritage while elevating mixed martial arts to a new level of cultural prominence.