The recently held “UFC Freedom 250” bout on the South Lawn of the White House lived up to the hype on several fronts, delivering big fights, drawing thousands of fans, and attracting a number of celebrities.
Still, UFC boss Dana White has said he will never host that kind of spectacle again, simply because he “can’t afford it.”
Before the show took place, several individuals attempted to shut it down by filing a lawsuit, but a judge rejected the request, prompting White to fire back at the critics in blunt fashion.
Dana White Says White House UFC Event Was A One-Off
White says he is pleased with how the recently held cage fight at the White House turned out, but he claims he has no plans to do anything like it again.
Speaking in the early hours of Monday morning, White stood firm on his earlier claim that the White House bout would be a “one-of-one” event, meaning fans should not expect a sequel.
“I can’t afford it,” the big-time MMA promoter told reporters, per ESPN. “I’ll never do the Sphere again, and we’ll never do this again.”
White refused to share specific figures from the books but noted that the promotion achieved the goals it had set for the $60 million production.
“In every way you can gauge success,” he said, adding that merchandise sales were very high, streaming numbers on Paramount were “monstrous,” and about 200,000 people attended the two-day fan festival surrounding the event.
White Defends Costly White House UFC Spectacle
White’s organization spent a fortune to stage the cage fight, with the promotion having to construct a giant steel structure called “the claw” and cover promotional, operational logistics, and other major event costs.
The “UFC Freedom 250” fight was held in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence and coincided with Donald Trump’s 80th birthday celebration.
The event drew controversy, as critics blasted the president for allowing his allies to stage a for-profit event on federal grounds. Some even filed a lawsuit seeking to have it canceled.
According to the news outlet, White dismissed the criticism and the attempt to block the event, saying, “F-ck ’em. I don’t give a sh-t about them. I got lawyers. They’ll figure that out.”
Dana White Responds After Offensive Michelle Obama Remark
Online reactions to the event were sharply divided along political lines, with MAGA supporters largely praising it while liberals criticized it.
The debate intensified after former NFL player and heavyweight UFC prospect Josh Hokit won his fight against Derrick Lewis via TKO and made an offensive slur about former First Lady Michelle Obama.
“Shout-out to Trump for having the balls to put some sh-t like this on,” Hokit told Joe Rogan in an interview, per the Daily Beast.
White later called Hokit’s remark “nasty and false,” dismissing it as “nonsense.”
While he maintained that the fight was not a political event, the UFC boss acknowledged the significance of hosting such a show at the White House on the country’s Independence Day. “I love this country, and this event was for America’s 250th birthday,” he said. “The fact that the president of the United States trusted me … we delivered tonight, and we did.”
Trump Faces Heat Over Reaction To Josh Hokit’s Remark
Meanwhile, Trump came under fire from internet users as reports claimed he “appeared to show a half-smile” seconds after Hokit’s controversial remark, per CNN.
“Have you forgotten that he posted the Obamas as apes!! A whole president of the US sinking that low & the entire republican party & the evangelicals cheering on that he represents their values. This is pure evil,” an X user wrote.
Another person wrote, “This is all for Trump, and he is obsessed with the Obamas….he is such a pathetic little man!”
A third user alleged, “Trump loved it… may have been involved in it happening.”
FBI Announces Arrests Over Alleged White House UFC Plot
For an event of that scale, the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies were expected to be on high alert, and authorities later said they were.
The FBI announced that it thwarted “planned attacks” targeting Sunday’s fight at the White House, adding that multiple people had been arrested in connection with the alleged plot.
According to reports, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency first learned of the planned scheme on June 10, just days before the event.
“Thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody, and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel said in a lengthy post on X.