Dana White has pushed back on Joe Rogan’s description of UFC Freedom 250 as a “gimmick,” defending the historic outdoor card set for the South Lawn of the White House on June 14.
The UFC Freedom 250 event will be held outdoors in Washington DC, broadcast on Paramount+, and will feature seven fights, including Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title and Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje to unify the lightweight titles. TKO president Mark Shapiro has stated the event is expected to cost around $60 million and will not turn a profit.
White acknowledged Rogan’s concerns about staging an outdoor show, including weather, bugs and temperatures, but stood firm on the event’s legitimacy. “Whatever Joe Rogan's opinions are – he said something crazy like, 'It seems like a gimmick,'” White said, before stressing, “I mean, what does a gimmick mean? It's a real fight, with real stakes. You got Pereira possibly winning his third world title. If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time. When you talk about a gimmick, there's absolutely nothing gimmicky about this event.”
White also underlined Rogan’s freedom to speak his mind. “Joe Rogan is a grown ass man who has his own opinions on different things – and yes, we are really good friends,” he said, later adding, “These guys are your friends, but everybody's entitled to their own opinions.”
UFC Freedom 250 will be only the promotion’s second outdoor event and is being held on the White House lawn on Donald Trump's birthday. White says the card is intended to celebrate 250 years of America and will include representatives of the military.
