Dana White sat down with Fox News to discuss the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 match at the White House, sharing details about the event and what fans can expect.
White confirmed the arena is already in the process of being built and will hold approximately 4,300 people, with the majority of those seats going to military personnel and service members.
“He wants this to be mostly for the military so it’s going to be 4,300 people there,” White said. “Most of them in the military.”
Beyond the arena itself, White revealed that fans without tickets can watch from the Ellipse, the large park directly across from the White House.
“We have screens and we have stages and music. We have activations over there,” he said.
White added that around 85,000 free tickets will be available for the Ellipse viewing area, with fans required to register to secure their spot.
He said, “If you are a fan of the UFC and if you’ve never been to Washington D.C., you should come to Washington D.C. the week of the matches.”
As for how the idea originated, White pointed directly to President Trump.
“We were at an event and he leans over to me and he says we should do an event at the White House and I was like, yes… You know how he is, if he says it, consider it done.” White said he immediately got the project moving and then pitched the President on the full plan. “He loved everything that we pitched to him.”
White also noted that demand for tickets has been overwhelming.
“Literally before I came out here I had a meeting with the President and he keeps telling me that he has never had an event where people have asked him for more tickets, so I’m trying to figure out how to get him more tickets,” he said.
On the topic of weather, White addressed concerns about holding the first outdoor UFC event in the United States. “If it rains we are going, if it snows we are going. The only thing that will stop this is lightning,” he said.
White explained the organization is working closely with the military on weather monitoring. White stated, “The military knows the weather 10 days out. They will notify us every two hours, 10 days out, and seven days out they will tell us every hour.”
He added that the event could be moved two hours earlier or two hours later depending on conditions during the week.
White made clear this is a historic occasion tied to America’s 250th birthday and a celebration of the country’s history alongside President Trump’s birthday, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime event for fans of the sport and the country alike.
