Dana White Claims UFC Will 'Never' Return To White House After Freedom 250 Event

Don't expect the UFC to return to the White House for another Fight Night anytime soon.

The South Lawn of the White House hosted a loaded UFC card this Sunday night that included a showdown between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria for the lightweight championship. Those in attendance were also treated to a thrilling bout featuring Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.

"I love this country," UFC president Dana White said. "This event was for America's 250th anniversary. There was no political agenda for this event. They could have had anything. They could have put any kind of performance on. believe If you are an American, no matter where you sit politically, tonight was a proud night to sit around and enjoy the 250th birthday of America. I hope everyone as an American feels that."

Although the UFC certainly put together an entertaining card, White said a return to the White House isn't part of the MMA promotion's future plans.

"I can't afford it," White said. "I'll never do the Sphere again, and we'll never do this again."

What was the damage for the UFC?

TKO president Mark Shapiro previously revealed that UFC Freedom 250 would cost $60 million.

"We have a lot of current and prospective partners that would like to be involved, and are inquiring about inventory, as part of their greater partnership deals they either already have, or are negotiating with us for the future," Shapiro said. "But I want to be clear about something: we will not profit from the White House event independently."

Suffice to say, UFC doesn't want to be in the market of losing millions of dollars after every event.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 8:00 PM.