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Trump keen on 'hosting' a UFC fight at the White House lawn, Conor McGregor 'loves' the idea

Trump announced his plans on July 3
posted by Sourodeep Dey
Saturday 7/5/2025 at 8:25AM EDT
  • Donald Trump in 2023 (Image via Everett Collection)
    Donald Trump in 2023 (Image via Everett Collection)

    President Donald Trump has announced that he is keen to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

    On July 3, while giving a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Trump first shared his plans to host the event on the lawns of the official residence of the American President. In a video shared by New York Post, Trump said,

    “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.”

    Referring to UFC’s CEO, Dana White, who introduced Trump during the last night of the Republican National Convention in 2024, Trump said,

    “We're going to build a little, we're not, Dana's going to do it. Dana is great, one of a kind.”

    Delving into the details of his vision of the UFC event, Trump stated,

    “We’re gonna have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20, 25,000 people, and we're going to do that as part of 250 also. We're going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events, but the UFC fight's going to be a big deal, too.”

     

    Former UFC fighter Conor McGregor responded to Trump’s comments

    Mixed martial arts fighter from Ireland, Conor McGregor, responded to Donald Trump’s call for a UFC event at the White House. Although McGregor is a former UFC fighter who participated in the lightweight and featherweight categories, took to X to express his approval of the President’s plans.

    Wishing his American fans a ‘happy 4th of July,’ McGregor teased a comeback fight and wrote on X,

    “Happy 4th of July, USA. Excited with President Trump announcing a UFC fight event at the White House. I would be honoured! Count me in!”

    In another post on X, McGregor posted a screenshot of his conversation with Dana White, who had written he ‘loves it,’ and echoing White’s sentiment, wrote,

    “He loves it!”

    McGregor already has good ties with President Trump. Earlier this year, he visited Trump in the White House on St Patrick's Day in March, also appearing in the press briefing room at the lectern with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, as per BBC.

     

    Comments from the White House and the UFC

    The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, seemed to confirm the President’s plans for hosting a UFC event at the White House when she said Trump was “dead serious” about it, as per Complex.

    The publication noted that UFC officials also seemed to confirm that talks to host an event at the White House were underway. According to Complex, a UFC official said,

    “We are in discussions with the White House about hosting a UFC event on site.”

    As per The Guardian, Trump and the UFC have a long connection. Earlier, Dana White of the UFC supported Trump with comments such as:

    “President Trump built the greatest economy in our nation’s history and created opportunities for all Americans like no one before him.”

    In 2020, Trump also paid homage to White during a rally in Nevada, which included UFC fighters in the audience, according to The Guardian.

    For now, it remains to be seen when Trump and the UFC schedule the event at the White House.

    TOPICS: Trump, Conor McGregor, UFC