Topline<\/p>\n
UFC president Dana White defended the upcoming White House \u201cFreedom 250\u201d fight from critics, including Joe Rogan, who have suggested holding the event is insensitive or a possible safety concern amid the war in Iran, in a series of interviews published Tuesday.<\/p>\n
UFC president Dana White defended hosting a fight at the White House amid the Iran war. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n
Zuffa LLCKey Facts<\/p>\n
White told Rolling Stone<\/a> the UFC \u201ccan\u2019t just bend and break and roll over for every bad thing that happens in the world,\u201d saying he\u2019s \u201cnot going to not run my business\u201d because of the Iran war or other crises.<\/p>\n The White House UFC fight is scheduled for June 14, which is both Flag Day and President Donald Trump\u2019s 80th birthday, and White said it is expected to seat over 4,000 people in the stands on the South Lawn and another 85,000 at the nearby Ellipse park.<\/p>\n But the fight has attracted some critics, including podcaster Joe Rogan\u2014a friend of White\u2019s, whom he hired to do color commentary for the event\u2014with Rogan saying on his podcast<\/a> in March it is \u201cweird to have a fight at the White House in the middle of a f***ing war.\u201d<\/p>\n Rogan suggested the event could pose safety concerns on his March podcast episode, saying, \u201cHaving this very high profile event where everyone\u2019s in one place at one time right there\u2026 it seems like you\u2019re asking for,\u201d before trailing off.<\/p>\n White also denied the event is political, telling Time<\/a> in an interview on Tuesday\u2014one of several he has done this week to promote the upcoming fight\u2014that he is \u201cspending a \u00adsh-t\u00adload of money to celebrate the 250th birthday of America.\u201d<\/p>\n What Else Did White Say About The White House Ufc Fight?<\/p>\n In interviews this week with Rolling Stone<\/a>, Time<\/a> and the New Yorker<\/a>, White said the event came to be because Trump, whom he describes as a friend, approached him at a UFC match and said, \u201cYou know what? We should do a fight at the White House.\u201d White told the New Yorker the UFC and the Trump administration began planning details days later. White offered some logistical details in interviews this week, telling the New Yorker the stands at the White House will seat slightly more than 4,000 spectators, of which Trump has 1,000 tickets to distribute and White has 200. Ari Emanuel, CEO of UFC owner TKO Holdings, has another 200 tickets to distribute, with the rest reserved for military members, White said. White told Time he invited several celebrities, including Adam Sandler, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson and Mario Lopez, but did not say whether they accepted. Fighters will warm up in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and will walk out from the Oval Office, Time reported, and White told the New Yorker weigh-ins will happen at the Lincoln Memorial. <\/p>\n What Did White Say About His Relationship With Trump?<\/p>\n Across multiple interviews this week, White said his friendship with Trump is not about politics. White said his relationship with Trump dates back to 2001, when the UFC staged fights at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. White told Rolling Stone Trump \u201cshowed up to the first fight of the night and stayed till the last fight,\u201d saying he became a \u201cvery good friend.\u201d White told Rolling Stone he and Trump \u201cdon\u2019t talk politics,\u201d saying Trump has never asked him to get involved politically. Though White did speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention, he told the New Yorker his speech was about Trump as a person and a friend, rather than about politics. White described himself as \u201cdown the middle, leaning a little left,\u201d and an \u201ceighties, nineties Democrat\u201d to the New Yorker. <\/p>\n Surprising Fact<\/p>\n White defended Trump against allegations he is racist by invoking the president\u2019s friendship with Michael Jackson. \u201cI can tell you that the President had a very good relationship with Michael Jackson, and had Michael Jackson around his kids all the time, and defended him when that stuff was going down. So to call the guy a racist is crazy,\u201d White told the New Yorker, saying there are \u201cvideos now popping up of Trump defending Michael Jackson\u201d after the \u201cMichael\u201d movie opened in theaters last month.<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n White told the New Yorker a $7.7 billion deal<\/a> the UFC struck with Paramount last year did not make him a billionaire. \u201cI do really well,\u201d White said, adding, \u201cI spend too much money. I\u2019ll never be a billionaire.\u201d Forbes estimated<\/a> last year White\u2019s net worth exceeds $600 million. <\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Trump first announced<\/a> the UFC fight at the White House in July 2025, telling supporters at a rally in Iowa, \u201cWe\u2019re going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House,\u201d also praising White as \u201cone of a kind.\u201d The UFC announced the lineup for the White House event in March, though the card was met with mixed reactions<\/a> from fans as it lacked legends like Conor McGregor or Jon Jones. The event\u2019s main fight is a lightweight match between American Justin Gaethje against Ilia Topuria of Georgia. <\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n