Dana White says the UFC’s fight card at the White House was a success, but it will not happen again. After the event ended at 3 a.m. Monday, the UFC president made clear he does not want to repeat the South Lawn show.
“I can’t afford it,” White said. “I’ll never do the Sphere again, and we’ll never do this again.”
The one-night event, billed as UFC Freedom 250, was promoted for months as a one-of-one show rather than the start of a new trend. White said the card met the goals tied to its $60 million production and exceeded expectations in several areas.
White House event hit UFC’s targets
White said the promotion reached the numbers it wanted, though he declined to give specifics. He pointed to merchandise results, which he said reached all-time metrics, and said the numbers on Paramount were “monstrous,” according to www.espn.com.
He also estimated that 200,000 people were on the Ellipse over the two-day fan fest. Weather that had threatened to disrupt Sunday night largely held off, and Washington, D.C., turned into a pleasant evening after a slight delay.
Why White does not want a repeat
Despite the success, White said outdoor fights bring too many variables he cannot control. He said he and President Donald Trump discussed a possible fight for troops in 2027, but he also said military coordination would take time.
“He wanted to do it this year,” White said. “And I said, sir, I need a year to recover financially.”
White also pushed back at critics who questioned the event’s legality at a federal landmark. A lawsuit seeking an injunction failed Friday, allowing the Friday news conference at the Lincoln Memorial and the Sunday fights on the South Lawn to go forward.
White dismissed the criticism bluntly. “F— ’em. I don’t give a s— about them,” he said. “It’s like when they were asking me about the lawsuit. I don’t give a s—. I got lawyers. They’ll figure that out. I don’t care.”
Gaethje’s upset and a night of stoppages
Inside the cage, the card delivered what White called “great” action. Justin Gaethje upset Ilia Topuria to win the lightweight title in what White described as “one of the greatest fights you’ll ever see.”
The rest of the card matched that pace, with every fight ending by stoppage. White said he had been reflecting more than usual in recent weeks, especially in conversations with Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, who helped initially invest in the UFC.
Frank Fertitta attended Sunday night’s event, White said, and he added that his conversations with the Fertitta brothers had turned more reflective as the White House card approached. White also said he wanted the event to honor the United States’ 250th birthday, not serve a political agenda.
“I love this country, and this event was for America’s 250th birthday. There was no political agenda or anything like that,” White said. “The fact that the president of the United States trusted me, they could have had anything. There’s tons of things going on in this city up until July 4 to celebrate. The fact that he trusted me to do this and to deliver tonight and we did.”
White House UFC card, at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | UFC Freedom 250 |
| Location | South Lawn of the White House |
| Main event | Justin Gaethje upset Ilia Topuria for the lightweight title |
| Production cost | $60 million |
| Fan fest estimate | 200,000 people on the Ellipse over two days |
| White’s view | Successful, but a one-time event |
White said the White House show was built as a special celebration, not a template for more events at federal landmarks. Even after the scale, the money, and the strong card, he said the lesson was simple: this one should stay unique.
