The UFC is set to stage a special fight card on the south lawn of the White House in Washington D.C. on June 14, with the promotion footing the entire bill for the event.
UFC CEO Dana White says the showcase, which will feature a large structure being built in Europe, shipped to Philadelphia and then trucked to Washington D.C. for assembly, is not intended as a political statement despite taking place at the White House with the President of the United States in attendance.
"One of the myths that I would like to crush is I don’t care if you’re far right, far left, right down the middle, wherever you sit politically because everybody sits somewhere politically these days, this isn’t about politics," White said. "This is about the United States, what this country is about, how it was built, where we all came from." He added, "If you love America, you’re going to love this event," and emphasized, "It has nothing to do with politics. We just happen to be on the White House lawn and the President of the United States will be there."
White also highlighted the visual spectacle planned for the card, saying, "All I want to see when I’m watching these fights is the White House in the background," and outlined the logistical undertaking: "So they found this thing, it’s being built over in Europe. It’s going to be shipped to Philadelphia and then it’s going to be trucked from Philly to Washington D.C. and we’ll start to build it on the south lawn of the White House."
TKO Group Holdings president previously stated the company would likely spend upwards of $60 million to stage the card.
