Daijiworld Media Network – Iowa
Iowa, Jul 4: As part of America’s 250th Independence anniversary celebrations next year, US President Donald Trump has announced an unprecedented event — a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. Speaking at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on the eve of July Fourth, Trump said the special championship bout will be held before a live audience of 20,000 to 25,000 people.
"Every one of our national park battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of 'America250', and I even think we're going to have a UFC fight," Trump told a cheering crowd, adding that it would be a ‘full fight’ and part of an extensive patriotic lineup.
Trump, a long-time friend of UFC President Dana White, added, “We are going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events.” Their association dates back to 2001, when Trump’s now-defunct Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City used to host UFC events. During Trump’s 2016 campaign, White had endorsed him as a “fighter,” and later called him the “legitimate, ultimate, American badass of all time.”
“Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? 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 declared, drawing roars of approval from the crowd.
Adding to the spectacle, Trump also announced a “great American State Fair” which will bring “America250 programming for fairgrounds across the country,” culminating in a massive patriotic festival next summer on the National Mall featuring exhibits from all 50 states.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans in a statement and a post on X, saying, “It’s going to be EPIC!” She added that the President is “dead serious” about the UFC fight plan, according to a pool report.
Trump is also expected to sign what he called his “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law on Friday during a “Signing Celebration” at the White House, as shared on his Truth Social account.