UFC is set to hold on the White House South Lawn with a show timed for President Donald Trump鈥檚 80th birthday and the celebration of the nation鈥檚 .
UFC Freedom 250 is set for Sunday night.
UFC CEO Dana White is friends with the president and the two have discussed for more than a year the idea of bringing mixed martial arts to the White House.
Their relationship dates to UFC鈥檚 infancy as White reorganized the company and led its rise into national prominence.
The cage and stage will themselves be surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, including ringside space for a full marching band that can set the entire scene to blaring music. The Zac Brown Band will perform the National Anthem.
The fight card is part of a series of events celebrating the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence鈥檚 signing on July 4, 1776. Other planned events include an that will pass by the White House.
How to watch UFC Freedom 250
The main card airs live only on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
There was some initial discussion that the show would be simulcast on television via CBS. The show instead will only air domestically on the subscription service. , which is controlled by the Ellison family, also close allies of Trump, this year became the new home to UFC events across the United States
It was a shift away from UFC鈥檚 long-time pay-per-view model. Paramount and UFC parent company TKO said the change will allow the mixed martial arts programming to reach more consumers nationwide.
Paramount+ plans start at $8.99 a month.
Who is on the card?
The card has been panned by fans online as underwhelming and features just two championship fights.
Brazil鈥檚 Alex Pereira will meet France鈥檚 for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion then takes on interim champ , one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC鈥檚 11 championship belts.
There are five other fights on the main card that include former title-fight participants Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis and former 135-pound champion .
What about the weather?
White says the outdoor show will go on rain or shine.
The mid-week forecast on Weather.com called for rain showers early with overcast skies late Sunday and temperatures around 70 degrees around the time of the first fight.
The main venue has 4,500 seats but thousands more are expected to watch in the open air at the Ellipse, a prominent public park south of the White House.
___
AP MMA:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
