{"id":654268,"date":"2026-05-07T18:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/654268\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T18:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:35:12","slug":"ilia-topuria-alex-pereira-pay-big-visit-to-donald-trump-before-ufc-white-house-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/654268\/","title":{"rendered":"Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira Pay Big Visit To Donald Trump Before UFC White House Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly a month remains until the UFC touches down on the South Lawn for the first and only time for UFC Freedom 250<\/a>, which is headlined by two title fights<\/a> with Alex Pereira vs. Cyril Gane (UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship) and a unification fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.<\/p>\n

With the event so close to fruition, the official promotion has begun. All four headliners were at the White House inside the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon alongside President Donald Trump. Trump hosted a mini-presser alongside a custom USA-themed UFC belt <\/a>that will be awarded to the winners of the title fights.<\/p>\n

“It’s never going to happen again,” Trump told The U.S. Sun<\/a> and other reporters regarding the rarity of the event. “It’s never happened before. And it’s all of the best fighters. And it’s going to happen right in front of the White House.”<\/p>\n

Donald Trump’s Connection To UFC, Explained\"Dana<\/p>\n

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; President-elect Donald Trump speaks with Dana White (left) during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Trump has been a small part of the UFC’s growth, as he helped host some of the promotion’s early events during the Zuffa LLC regime upon its purchase from Semaphore Entertainment Group in 2001.<\/p>\n

Over the last decade, however, Trump has been a regular attendee, sitting next to UFC CEO Dana White at various events from Las Vegas, Miami, New Jersey and New York, to name a few. These appearances came after Trump and White maintained their friendship, which led to White’s speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention, the first of many activities related to Trump that White has participated in.<\/p>\n

According to White, it was Trump’s idea to host the event, which takes place Sunday, June 14.<\/p>\n

“These are the toughest people,” Trump said of the headliners. “These are the greatest fighters in the world. They come from all over the world. Some come from extreme poverty. Not too many people come from Fifth Avenue, for the most part.”<\/p>\n

All four were compilmentary of the president, as Trump called Gaethje a friend ahead of his fight with Topuria.<\/p>\n

After the debrief session, respective face-offs for both fights surfaced on social media across the UFC’s pages to hype the fights even more. The title fights are part of a seven-fight event, which is a non-traditional UFC format as opposed to 12, 13 or 14 fights per event.<\/p>\n

UFC White House Event Comes With Select Perks\"UFC<\/p>\n

Jeff Bottari-Zuffa LL<\/p>\n

While free tickets are all but claimed, a rare $1.5 million-dollar package is being distributed to “influential people,” according to Uncrowned Combat’s Ariel Helwani<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The package includes private events, access to the presser and weigh-ins, and is topped by exclusive floor tickets to UFC 329 in Las Vegas July 11.<\/p>\n

Simply put, the next few months appear to be a grand spectacle for the UFC.<\/p>\n

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