Only 16% of Americans Think a UFC Fight at the White House Is Appropriate — It's Costing $60 Million, Trump Bought the Stock, and They're Selling $12,000 Coins with His Face

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released June 11 found that just 16% of Americans think it is appropriate for the president to hold a UFC cage match at the White House. 46% said it was inappropriate. The rest had no opinion. Only 31% of Republicans supported it — remarkable for a president with 87% Republican approval.

A separate Seton Hall Sports Poll found nearly half of Americans (46%) believe the event negatively affects the public image of the White House, while only 22% see it positively.

The event is happening anyway.

The event

UFC Freedom 250 is a three-day mixed martial arts spectacle on the White House grounds, culminating on June 14 — Flag Day and President Trump's 80th birthday:

• Friday, June 12: Press conference at the Lincoln Memorial
• Saturday, June 13: Fan festival on the Ellipse, ceremonial weigh-in, Zac Brown Band concert
• Sunday, June 14: Main event — cage fights on the South Lawn, streamed on Paramount+

The fight card includes an interim UFC heavyweight title bout (Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane) and a lightweight championship (Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje).

The cost

The event costs more than $60 million, according to court filings:

• UFC/TKO covers production, labor, construction, and promotion
• The federal government provides emergency services, law enforcement, and security
• TKO president Mark Shapiro told Wall Street analysts the company expects to lose $30 million
• Sponsors include Ram Trucks, Crypto.com, and Monster Energy

The logistics

What it takes to hold a cage fight at the White House:

• 5,000-seat temporary arena on the South Lawn
• "The Claw" — a 90-foot-tall arched lighting rig towering over the octagon
• 494 port-a-potties
• Giant screens on the Ellipse for up to 80,000-120,000 public spectators
• Food for 4,000 South Lawn guests and 120,000 Ellipse guests
• 20-30 trucks of UFC equipment screened and delivered daily since May 20
• Fighters warming up inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building — among chandeliers and historical décor

Dana White on the bug problem, after dining in the Rose Garden: "The amount of gnats that were flying around — I'm like, 'holy shit.'" He immediately contacted his head of production. "That's why I don't like fighting outside, ever."

Joe Rogan objected on his podcast: "I just don't think that you should compete in a world championship fight in a non-controlled environment." He flagged dehydration risks in D.C.'s June heat.

The stock

Trump's May 12 financial disclosure shows he purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 in TKO Group Holdings stock on March 25 — while actively promoting the UFC Freedom 250 event. TKO is UFC's parent company. After the event was announced, TKO stock rose 8.86% in seven days.

The president bought stock in a company, then used the White House as a venue for their event. The White House claims the assets are in a trust managed by his sons and present "no conflict of interest." CREW's Jordan Libowitz: "One of the worst conflicts of interest you could imagine."

The coins

The Trump Organization and UFC began selling co-branded commemorative coins on June 9:

• Prices range from $249.99 to $11,999.99
• The top-tier option: a 1 oz PF70 gold medal
• Each coin bears Trump's face and his signature
• The label also features Dana White's portrait

The president is personally profiting from merchandise branded with his face for a cage fight being held at the White House on his birthday. Jimmy Kimmel mocked the fine print. Anderson Cooper called it part of a "laundry list of Trump-branded merchandise promoted by the president and his family."

The lawsuit

The Public Integrity Project filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two Virginia residents — a Vietnam War veteran and a civic activist — seeking an emergency injunction. Their arguments:

• National Park Service regulations prohibit sporting events on the South Lawn
• The arena construction lacks congressional approval
• No environmental review was conducted
• The event is "deeply corrupt" because Trump owns stock in TKO
• The administration claims the event is exempt from permitting rules because it's part of America's 250th anniversary — but the lawsuit argues it's actually Trump's birthday party

The DOJ's response to the lawsuit included this sentence: "No one is holding Plaintiffs in a jiu jitsu lock, forcing them to watch UFC Freedom 250 against their will."

The White House called it "an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory lawsuit brought simply to prevent President Trump from hosting what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most historic sporting events in our Nation's history."

The case sits before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta.

The press

In an unusual arrangement, UFC — not the White House — is handling press credentials for Sunday's event. White House press corps members cannot access the grounds without UFC-issued credentials. A private company is controlling media access to the White House.

The guest list

Dana White said he invited Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Mario Lopez. According to Vanity Fair, "of that group, few, if any, will actually be there." Sandler, Leto, and Johnson confirmed they would not attend. Lopez cited "work commitments."

The numbers

• 16% of Americans think this is appropriate
• 46% say it's inappropriate
• 31% of Republicans support it — out of 87% who approve of Trump generally
• 18% of Americans are MMA fans
• $60 million event cost
• $30 million expected loss for TKO
• $11,999.99 for a coin with Trump's face
• $15,001-$50,000 Trump's TKO stock purchase
• 494 port-a-potties

Sixteen percent. That is the share of America that thinks holding a cage fight at the White House is appropriate. Not 16% who think it's a good idea — 16% who think it's merely appropriate. The president is doing it anyway, on his birthday, with coins bearing his face, stock in the company, and a 90-foot lighting rig on the South Lawn. The DOJ says nobody is being held in a jiu jitsu lock. The gnats, however, are a concern.