White House UFC Event: Who’s Really Going—And How Much It Costs

BreakingBusinessWhite House UFC Event: Who’s Really Going—And How Much It CostsByMary Whitfill Roeloffs,Forbes Staff. Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes breaking news reporter covering pop culture.Follow AuthorMay 28, 2026, 10:58am EDTToplineThe South Lawn of the White House is two weeks away from hosting "UFC Freedom 250,” a series of mixed martial arts fights, to celebrate President Donald Trump's 80th birthday that could draw celebrities like Tom Brady, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Adam Sandler—who were invited, but have not confirmed—and cost a whopping $1.5 million to gain entry. A UFC championship belt and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026.AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe UFC, run by longtime Trump ally CEO and founder Dana White, is planning the first-ever sporting event on the grounds of the White House on June 14, headlined by Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje competing for the lightweight title and Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane squaring up for an interim heavyweight title.Construction of a purpose-built, 4,000-seat arena is underway on the White House grounds and will hold a full 87-foot UFC Octagon, massive video screens, red, white and blue staging and a custom overhead lighting structure called “The Claw.” The Ellipse, a 52-acre park south of the White House, will host a fan festival where 75,000 to 100,000 people are expected to watch the fights for free. At least 1,200 of the approximately 4,300 seats on the White House lawn will go to active military members, Time reports, and the rest of the seats have been divided up between the White House, TKO and the UFC.Construction for the upcoming UFC match on the South Lawn of the White House on May 26, 2026 in Washington, DC.Getty Images if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var scr...