Sometimes, you have to begrudgingly cede the point. And we’ll do that here:
Yes, the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House is spectacle. And it’s very much sportswashing; U.S. President Donald Trump may legitimately be a fan, but he’s used his association with the promotion to boost his image during both his terms in office, showing up at events in New Jersey (2019), Florida (2025), and elsewhere.
Shifting a fight card intended to celebrate America’s 250th birthday from the July 4th holiday to Trump’s own birthday, placing it on the White House lawn, promoting it in the oval office, with fighters and even MMA’s most notoriously controversial manager on hand? That’s the deluxe wash with wax of sportswashing. Especially given Trump’s current popularity, or lack there of, and controversies over tariffs, Epstein, and the Iran war.
Yet despite all the political undertones, despite the fact that Donald Trump may even profit financially from the event he’s permitted to be held on the White House south lawn, you have to give it to the UFC: the White House card is a stroke of sheer brilliance.
The UFC in 2026 was losing steam. Not financially, but creatively. Over the past couple of years, the one standout moment, creatively, was UFC 306, a.k.a. Noche UFC at The Sphere. An Emmy-award winning production that proved that, when they wanted to, the promotion could think outside the box and provide a show that is awe-inspiring. Mind-blowing. Absolute appointment entertainment.
If only there was more of that.
Instead, “Apex Slop” Fight Night cards at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, a lack of star power, and a dearth of active champions (light heavyweight champ Carlos Ulberg is injured, Mackenzie Dern has yet to defend her strawweight belt, Islam Makhachev fights infrequently at best, same with Khamzat Chimaev, though he was recently dethroned anyway) had interest in the promotion waning.
A couple of factors, however, have reenergized fans in recent months. One was even outside the UFC’s control: the heavily promoted and highly watched Rousey vs. Carano card on Netflix reminded fight fans what “big event feel” was in MMA. Press conferences with massive interest turned into a huge number for the streamer. Were the fights great? A few were, most weren’t. But it didn’t matter. Arriving ahead of UFC Freedom 250, Rousey vs. Carano whet the appetite for more big MMA events.
The UFC is bringing that, first this Sunday, and again in a month with the return of Conor McGregor. A two-punch combination that makes the summer of 2026 the most exciting for the UFC in years, if all goes according to plan.
Visually, the UFC’s show at the White House looks to be a winner. The “Claw,” a structure now perched on the White House lawn, is impressive, and frames the U.S. capitol in the background. First assembled (partially anyway) in Philadelphia, as Dana White told Cageside Press back in April, it has President Trump suggesting he might keep it in place permanently. Unlikely, especially since in a few years, Trump himself will be gone from office. Still, a sight to behold.
As Dana White also told us back in April, “The thing is going to be incredibly successful on the bells and whistles side, then it’s up to the fighters that night.” And while the card was underwhelming when announced with the absence of Jon Jones, McGregor, and even Makhachev, you know Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje will deliver on the action front. You have to expect someone is getting finished in Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis.
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi? The last time Canadians showed up at the White House with ill intent, they burnt it down. There’s some fun fights on this card, even if the names aren’t what was hoped for initially.
The weather could play a factor, but the show must go on. Don’t expect the game to be called on account of rain. Not in the fight business.
As a last-minute lawsuit looking to stop the show points out, the event itself is about as corrupt as you can get. Trump is using his presidency to do a favor for the UFC; he stands to gain financially, given he reportedly owns stock in TKO Group, parent company of WWE and UFC. He may be in violation of the law in even allowing the event to take place on the White House grounds, and permitting a structure to be built there, given congressional approval is required.
The courts will sort that out after the fact. The show on Sunday is what fight fans care about. How it looks, how it plays out. If it’s half as good as the Sphere card, it’ll be deemed a success. Even with a $60 million dollar price tag, partially confirmed at least by White to Cageside Press back in Winnipeg. “Yeah it’s in that ballpark. Mmhmm. Hopefully a little less.”
What the UFC has done with Freedom 250, besides handing Donald Trump an opportunity to salvage his flagging image, if only for one night, is regain fan interest in an era where cracks had begun to appear in the UFC’s behemoth-like apparatus. Their $7.7 billion dollar broadcast deal with Paramount+ has been ho-hum to start, with just a handful of truly entertaining cards. But at least for a month or two, must-see UFC TV is back.
Admittedly, by going from the rock ‘n roll, outlaw, rebellious image it once projected to a state approved, politically linked fight promotion, the UFC has risked turning off some of the very fans it once drew almost by default. There’s a real question as to whether some fans will see past the politics, especially if the association between promotion and government were to continue.
Still, try to tune out the politics, just for one night. Tune into the fights. Let the athletes who have built a sport through blood, sweat, tears and years of sacrifice enjoy their moment. Trump may want to be Caesar, high up in the colosseum overseeing the gladiators, but it’s the men (sadly, no women, after Mackenzie Dern vs. Weili Zhang didn’t work out) down below this Sunday who matter.
