Donald Trump Says UFC Arena Could Become Permanent White House Attraction

UFC Freedom 250 goes down from the South Lawn of the White House in just over a week, headlined by two title fights, with the main event featuring Ilia Topuria's first UFC lightweight title defense vs. Justin Gaethje in a unification bout. In the co-headliner, an interim heavyweight champion will be decided between Alex Pereira and Cyril Gane in front of President Donald Trump.

Trump's excitement is such that he has an increased interest in hosting other high-profile events from the White House. In a new statement, Trump hinted at a surprising idea: keeping the UFC's one-of-a-kind claw structure intact after the event concludes.

Donald Trump Speaks on UFC Claw Structure

Trump at UFC 314 — Apr 12, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in attendance during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower — 1889 it was built. It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair, and then they said, ‘You know, we sorta like it, let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ Well, they never took it down,” Trump told reporters, per CNN.

Trump re-emphasized the spectacle that is the UFC's White House event, an outdoor ordeal on his birthday that has been highly-anticipated since last fall. Trump said it's a can't-miss attraction.

“And, you know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people,” Trump said. “It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14, and I’m looking at it — and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”

UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear that the White House event is a one-of-one event, but those remarks were made before Trump expressed his interest in keeping the structure as is.

Nonetheless, regardless of one's opinion of the event, it's still scheduled to go forward with seven fights. The card also features former champions and title challengers, including Sean O'Malley, Michael Chandle, and Derrick Lewis, to name a few.

UFC Freedom 250 Gets Unique Date

In a nontraditional sense, too, a UFC event on a Sunday, June 14, is a surprise, as it's primarily a Saturday product. But with Trump's backing, the UFC's satisfaction with delivering the best possible event is the only goal in mind from a production standpoint, much less the quality of the fights.

We'll see how everything plays out. However, it seems the UFC's Flag Day event remains full steam ahead, even with the inevitable fallout that is to come next.

For now, though, next Sunday still awaits the MMA and global media masses.

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