UFC CEO Dana White has never been one for subtlety, and his latest plan is pure spectacle. In a podcast interview this week, White vowed to make the upcoming UFC fight at the White House “one of the greatest events of all time.” The event, scheduled for July 4, 2026, is part of President Donald Trump’s grand vision to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

“This is a sphere, 1 of 1, unique event that will never happen again,” White said. “And I will blow the doors off this thing.”

Trump first announced the idea during a campaign speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds earlier this month, and true to form, the former president has his sights set high. He described a UFC championship match right on the White House grounds, with room for up to 25,000 spectators. “We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House,” Trump told the crowd, before teasing the possibility of an actual arena: “We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little—well, we’re not, Dana is going to do it.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Trump has teamed up with White. The two have shared a longstanding friendship, with Trump frequently attending UFC events and vocally supporting the sport even when mainstream networks and political figures scoffed at it.

For Trump, the UFC showcase is just one piece of his broader “America250” birthday bash blueprint. According to his July 4 remarks, he also plans to include events at national parks, battlefields, and historic landmarks, along with the “Patriot Games,” a nationwide athletic competition featuring top high school athletes from all 50 states.

“We’re going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events. But the UFC fight is going to be a big deal, too,” Trump said. “Exactly one year from tomorrow, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding with a birthday party the likes of which you have never seen before.”

Dana White’s pledge to deliver on that vision reinforces the close alignment between Trump’s cultural instincts and the populist energy of UFC fans. The move also signals a bold shift in how presidential events are imagined. Rather than a traditional pageant of speeches and fireworks, Trump’s version of patriotism features roaring crowds, knockout punches, and octagon lights blazing across the South Lawn.

As with any plan involving Trump and White, controversy is inevitable—but so is attention. The very idea of a UFC championship match taking place in the backyard of the most iconic residence in the world guarantees wall-to-wall coverage and a cultural moment like no other.

Whether or not the arena gets built, and regardless of which fighters end up headlining the event, the Trump-White UFC match is shaping up to be more than just a birthday party. It’s a declaration of the populist style Trump plans to bring into his next term—bold, unapologetic, and unlike anything the political establishment has ever seen.