By 9News Staff, Associated Press26 May 2026 22:37
Images show a UFC octagon rising on the White House lawn.
Donald Trump, a noted fan of the fighting competition, previously revealed plans to host a bout on the South Lawn as part of the US 250th anniversary celebrations next month – as well as his 80th birthday.
Trump has said that the finished UFC project will feature “a 5000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.”
Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate spectators at both locations.
“I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,” Trump said recently of demand to attend the UFC fight, adding, “That’s gonna be something.
“The card has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, featuring just two championship fights.
Brazil’s Alex Pereira will meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Then Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.