UFC President and CEO Dana White has provided full clarity on recent talk of a MMA event being held at the White House.
At a rally in Iowa last month, US President Donald Trump claimed that the White House would host a UFC fight card on July 4, 2026.
Trump suggested that amateur and professional bouts could take place at the UFC event, and up to 25,000 could be in attendance for the unique occasion.
Despite potential logistical issues, Trump believes there is enough land on the White House property to stage the ambitious event.
The UFC card is one of a number of special events the President plans on having across the nation next year to commemorate the USA's 250th year of independence.
Trump is a big MMA fan himself and is regularly seen in attendance at UFC events, with his friendship with White dating back over 20 years.
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White's response to Trump's claims
According to White, the unique UFC event is sure to go ahead on July 4 next year, and plans are moving quickly in getting everything to come together.
"It is definitely going to happen. I talked to him last night, him being the president, and I’m flying out there at the end of this month," said White on Tuesday's (August 12) CBS Mornings show.
"I’m gonna sit down and walk him through all the plans, and we’re gonna start deciding what he wants and doesn’t want," the 56-year-old added.
While Trump is a big factor in this unique event going ahead, he was keen for his daughter, Ivanka, to take charge of proceedings with White over planning.
"When he (Trump) called me and asked me to do it, he said: 'I want Ivanka in the middle of this,'" White mentioned.
"So Ivanka reached out to me, and her and I started talking about the possibilities, where it would be and I put together all the renderings."
While the White House event looks certain to go ahead, White mentioned that no deals have been done for fighters to appear on the card.
"It's still almost a year away and the landscape will change over the next several months," the UFC boss explained. "Everybody wants to be on this card."
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