Zac Brown will perform the U.S. national anthem live at UFC White House on June 14, marking a rare departure from UFC tradition.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Brown will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the card, which celebrates the 250th birthday of the United States. The event is headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC lightweight title, with Alex Pereira facing Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt in the co-main event.
“We don’t do the national anthem,” White said, explaining the promotion’s usual stance. “So one of the things that drives me crazy with boxing is they have to sing two national anthems and all of this stuff before the fight starts. We’re an international business. We have people from everywhere so we could end up singing two national anthems that are not even from this country, plus, the whole world’s watching us. We’re in over a billion homes worldwide so I don’t do it.”
“This will be the first time in a very long time — since like UFC double-digits — that we’ve done the national anthem and Zac Brown will be doing it,” White added.
The UFC White House concept was inspired by President Donald Trump on Independence Day in 2025, tying the June 14 card directly to the United States’ milestone birthday celebration.
