Trump's UFC Freedom 250 fight: What to know, how to watch
Judge clears way for White House's UFC event
A federal judge ruled Friday that the White House can move forward with Sunday's UFC event on the South Lawn to celebration the nation's 250th anniversary. Seán Sheehan with severemma.com joins LiveNOW's Mike Pache to touch on the series of fights and the history of UFC.
President Donald Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 fight takes place at the White House Sunday, though severe weather could threaten the evening and Trump’s 80th birthday celebration under "The Claw."
Here’s what to know about the event:
Who’s attending?
Big picture view:
Trump will be surrounded by Cabinet leaders, top administration officials, Republican lawmakers and 4,000-plus spectators on the South Lawn of the White House. Thousands more will be watching on big screens from the nearby Ellipse.
Trump’s UFC birthday
Dig deeper:
The president has sought to tie Sunday’s mixed martial arts cage match event to America 250, the larger, months-long celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But it’s no coincidence it’s scheduled on his birthday.
RELATED: America 250: How the US has changed over the last 250 years
The event is much more geared toward celebrating himself, so much so that the G7 summit for leaders of industrialized nations pushed back their get-together so that the president could attend his cage-match party and then fly straight to France for the meetings.
What is "The Claw"?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) "Claw" and the octagon fighting ring on the South Lawn of the White House on June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The fight will be held inside "The Claw," a spaceship-like metal arch fitted with lighting, sound equipment and large screens.
RELATED: Inside the Octagon at the White House
Under "The Claw," in the middle of thousands of seats, sits the cage where the fighters will square off. The Octagon, a term trademarked by the UFC, is the eight-sided, 30-foot in diameter, fenced cage.
How much will UFC Freedom 250 cost?
By the numbers:
Trump says the UFC is paying for the event and while its full costs haven’t been divulged, the National Park Service said in a court filing that $60-plus million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have gone into it, while seven government agencies have "allocated significant resources and manpower."
RELATED: White House UFC fight could cost $60M, involve multiple federal agencies
What time is UFC Freedom 250?
Timeline:
The event begins at 8 p.m. ET and features seven fights running past midnight.
Who’s fighting?
- Lightweight Title Bout: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
- Heavyweight Interim Title Bout: Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
- Bantamweight Bout: Sean O'Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
- Heavyweight Bout: Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
- Lightweight Bout: Maurício Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
- Middleweight Bout: Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
- Featherweight Bout: Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia
Severe weather forecast
Soggy showdown? Rain could impact UFC fight at White House
The UFC is getting ready to host a fight on the White House lawn this weekend, but storms could threaten the outdoor event. LiveNOW's Mike Pache spoke with FOX Weather's Steve Bender about the forecast for the fight on Sunday.
Local perspective:
FOX 5 meteorologist Glenn Talbert said a cold front will interact with a warm, humid air mass over the region, creating the potential for strong storms later Sunday.
Some storms could be severe and bring heavy rain, gusty winds and dangerous lightning. Strong thunderstorms and heavy lightning disrupted Friday’s Lincoln Memorial event.
How to watch UFC Freedom 250
If you’re not watching from the South Lawn of the White House or the nearby Ellipse, it’s streaming live exclusively on Paramount+.
The Source: This report includes information from FOX 5, The Associated Press, UFC and previous FOX Local reporting.