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President Donald Trump said a temporary arena will be constructed on the White House South Lawn to host a major UFC Freedom 250 card in June as part of celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Trump told reporters the setup will include a 4,500-seat venue, with additional viewing areas extending to the Ellipse to accommodate tens of thousands more spectators.
“They’re going to start building a 4,500-seat arena,” President Trump said, pointing to the South Lawn. He added that large screens and staging would allow an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people to watch the event.
The June 14 fight card is expected to feature a lightweight main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. Other fights are planned, including matchups involving Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
UFC CEO Dana White said additional fights are still being finalized, including a heavyweight pairing between Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit. White said the matchup came together quickly after President Trump raised the idea directly.
“What’s crazy is, the President said to me, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?’” White said, adding that he contacted Lewis, who agreed to participate.
The event is part of a broader series of “Freedom 250” celebrations tied to the country’s semiquincentennial. The date also coincides with Flag Day and Trump’s 80th birthday.
Officials said the venue will be temporary, with infrastructure built specifically for the event on White House grounds.
The news follows a recent video from a UFC event in Miami showing Brazilian fighter Paulo Costa briefly leaving the cage to greet President Trump following his knockout victory at UFC 327 last weekend.
The president also posted to Truth Social following the event, writing, “Congratulations to Paulo Costa on a Great UFC Fight last night in Miami. He will absolutely be a future Champion. It was great talking to him outside the ring after his Big Victory last night in Miami!”