President Donald Trump revealed plans to celebrate his 80th birthday by hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House.
Trump floated the idea of UFC fighters brawling on the White House lawn back in July. On Sunday, in a rambling speech at at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy, he confirmed the date.
“And on June 14th next year, we’re going to have a big UFC fight at the White House, right at the White House on the grounds of the White House,” he told the assembled sailors, without explaining that would be his 80th birthday.
The event looks set to become the tacky White House showpiece of wider national celebrations to mark 250 years since the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Retired fighter Conor McGregor, who was found liable for sexual assault in a civil court in his native Ireland, claimed he would be a part of the spectacle in an interview with Fox News last week. The 37-year-old said he “will compete in the White House for America’s 250th birthday.”
“Done deal, signed, delivered, it ain’t a negotiation,” the two-time UFC champion told host Sean Hannity.
UFC President Dana White has also spoken about the event. “In February, we’ll start looking at building the White House card, which I will right now tell you will be the greatest fight card ever assembled in the history of, at least, definitely this company,” he said at a post-fight press conference at UFC 320 in Nevada on Saturday.
He also threw McGregor’s participation into doubt. “I made it clear Conor wants to fight on that card, and you can clearly see Conor is very fired up to fight on that card,” White said. “But nothing is done yet, and no fights are being negotiated with the White House.”
McGregor hasn’t fought since a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier.
🚨 Conor McGregor says his fight at the White House fight is SIGNED and a DONE DEAL 👀”Done deal, signed, delivered. McGregor will compete in the White House for America’s 250th birthday.”(via @seanhannity)pic.twitter.com/nCXrCgVt2A
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 2, 2025
White, who counts Trump as a friend, previously told Sports Business Journal that the UFC will be forced to spend $700,000 to replace and repair the South Lawn grass after the event.
Trump gave the UFC legitimacy in its early days by lending his venues to the maligned combat sport, and he continues to engage in political spectacle by appearing at bouts. The sport is popular with young men, a key demographic in the 2024 presidential election.
He will be hoping the White House event goes more smoothly than his last birthday bash, which coincided with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.
Trump called the multimillion-dollar military birthday parade a “tremendous success,” despite it being dwarfed by rival “No Kings” protests the same day that drew tens of thousands.
Some 84 military vehicles and over 6,000 soldiers snaked through Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Army’s history, per ABC News. The parade was beset by issues from the start. It began about 30 minutes early in order to beat forecast storms, and the cost, around $45 million, included repairing roads not designed to take the load of heavy vehicles.
According to biographer Michael Wolff, Trump was privately bristling with how the parade played out, and he blamed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Wolff told The Daily Beast Podcast that Trump wanted a “menacing” show of force but got a “festive” and jovial parade instead. “He kind of reamed out Hegseth for this,” the Trump biographer said.
The White House has been contacted for comment.
The post Trump Reveals Incredibly Trashy 80th Birthday Plans appeared first on The Daily Beast.
