WASHINGTON — Work is continuing to transform the South Lawn of the White House into a temporary arena to host this month’s UFC bout.
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Crews have been building towering arches featuring stars and stripes patterns that will cover the octagon-shaped cage.
The UFC event will help mark the nation’s 250th anniversary — and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
When is the UFC fight at the White House?
The UFC fight being held at the White House is officially dubbed “UFC Freedom 250” and will be on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
June 14 is Flag Day and also Trump’s birthday.
Last year on Trump’s 79th birthday, a military parade barreled down Constitution Avenue after it was quickly added to the Army’s long-planned 250th anniversary celebration. That event played out as spirited “No Kings” protests unfolded in cities and towns across the country.
What happens if it rains?
The UFC fight at the White House will be happening rain-or-shine, to a point.
In a Fox News interview with Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, UFC CEO Dana White acknowledged that he doesn’t like doing outdoor events because it’s “way too unpredictable.”
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But in this case, the plan is to still hold the fights if it’s only raining.
“If it rains, we’re going. If it snows, we’re going. The only thing that will stop us is lightning,” White said. “But we’re working with the military, so the military knows the weather 10 days out, and they’ll notify us every two hours, 10 days out. Seven days out, they’ll notify us every hour.”
“The only thing that kills us is lightning. So, we could move the event two hours earlier, two hours after,” White described.
The only other outdoor UFC event was UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
Who is fighting on the UFC White House card?
There are seven fights scheduled for the UFC White House card, though 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.
Other fights on the White House card include:
- Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
- Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
- Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
- Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
- Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia
How to watch the UFC fight at the White House
The preliminary fights begin at 4 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, June 14, on Paramount+. The Main Card is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern on Paramount+.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
