Overview
- Trump hosted Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane at the White House on Wednesday, showing arena renderings and a special Freedom 250 belt.
- The president said about 4,000 seats will surround the South Lawn octagon, with eight big screens on the Ellipse for an estimated 75,000–100,000 people using free tickets.
- UFC confirmed the June 14 card with Topuria vs. Gaethje as the main event and Pereira vs. Gane as the co-main, following promotional faceoffs on the White House lawn tied to Flag Day and the president’s 80th birthday.
- Event planners described a temporary arena build on the South Lawn starting late this month, with UFC funding the production and pledging tens of thousands of free Ellipse passes.
- One day earlier, UFC CEO Dana White said he “doesn’t give a sh*t” if backing Trump costs business and credited Trump with proposing the White House fight, underscoring the event’s political optics.