Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is headed to the nation’s capital next year — and it won’t come cheap.
As part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, UFC will host an unprecedented fight card
on the South Lawn of the White House. Dana White has already hyped the blockbuster event as the “baddest card of all time,” but making history comes with a hefty price tag.
Because the 15,000-pound Octagon will sit directly on the South Lawn, the grass will need to be completely replaced after the event, and White says he’s footing the bill.
Speaking with Sports Business Journal this week, the UFC boss revealed the eye-popping cost.
“There is no doubt about it, this is going to be the most challenging event we have ever done,” White said. “I’m coming off a stadium event, which I don’t like stadiums, to the thing that I hate the most in outdoor events. So yes, we got through the Sphere, made it through [Canelo vs. Crawford] at Allegiant Stadium; now we head into Washington, D.C., on the White House lawn. This is just one little piece I was talking about last night: To replace the grass, because we’re going to f—k up the South Lawn, $700,000 just to replace the grass.”
The historic card will be the first time a major combat sports promotion has staged an event on White House grounds, further cementing UFC’s reputation for spectacle-driven shows. Between logistics, security, and now a six-figure landscaping bill, UFC White House promises to be one of the wildest undertakings in company history.
No fights have been announced yet with the event still eight months away, but that hasn’t stopped UFC stars from campaigning to be part of it — including a certain Irish superstar already teasing his return … and requesting a $100 million payday.
