Dana White has unveiled detailed plans for the June 14 UFC White House event in Washington, D.C., including attendance numbers, fan access, and contingency preparations for the outdoor show.
The card will be headlined by a lightweight championship unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. White said approximately 4,300 people will be in the main event area, with more than 4,000 members of the military invited. "So there’s going to be 4,300 people there, I just literally went over it right now," White said. "4,300 people and most of them will be military."
White outlined a large-scale fan experience across the street at the Ellipse park. "Across the street is the Ellipse and for those who don’t know, the Ellipse is a massive park," he said. "You’ll be able to see the fight from the Ellipse, but we have screens, we’ve got stages, we have music, we have activations over there." He added that about 85,000 free tickets will be given away for fans to watch from the Ellipse.
"If you are a fan of the UFC, and especially if you have never been to Washington, D.C., we’re going to give away about 85,000 tickets and there’s a process you have to register for tickets and they’re free," White said.
Known for his reluctance to stage outdoor events, White addressed weather concerns directly. "I hate outdoors," he said, explaining that only lightning would halt the show and that the UFC is working with the military and a concert-weather company to monitor conditions and potentially adjust the event start time if necessary.
