White House UFC fight could cost $60M, involve multiple federal agencies
President Donald J. Trump speaks with members of the media alongside UFC fighters in the Oval Office
New legal filings have offered a glimpse at the potential cost of President Donald Trump’s planned UFC fight event on the South Lawn of the White House scheduled for this weekend.
The National Park Service, who oversees the South Lawn, filed a response to a federal lawsuit that sought to stop the event. In their response, the documents listed seven agencies, including Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration have "allocated significant resources and manpower."
It also noted, hundreds of staff, between "700 and 900" came in daily for installation. And in total, at least $60 million has been spent to produce the event, money which came from the UFC and groups affiliated with the organization.
Preparations continue for the Ultimate Fighting Championship Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn on June 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
UFC Freedom 250
The weekend starts with the ceremonial weigh-in taking place at the Ellipse. There will be 14 fighters taking the stage for the seven-fight card.
Installation of the UFC Octagon began May 20 and the Secret Service worked with the UFC screening trucks and equipment for the past few weeks as construction of the arena commenced.
The event on Sunday will be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. The co-main event will be for interim gold as former two-time Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira takes on Ciryl Gane for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
President Donald J. Trump speaks with members of the media alongside UFC fighters in the Oval Office
Big picture view:
The weekend will also include concerts, live shows, celebrity appearances, "exclusive on-stage moments," meet and greets and interviews with athletes.
President Trump is expected to be sitting ringside with UFC President and CEO Dana White.
What we don't know:
The lawsuit challenging plans for the proposed UFC event at the White House remains pending, and no timetable for a decision has been announced.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This story was reported from Orlando.