Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has yet to start working on its UFC White House fight card for the landmark event in June, probably because Dana White and Co. are still trying to cobble together an all-star
lineup for the promotion’s Paramount+ premiere in January.
In the interim, President Trump has taken over as matchmaker.
That’s why UFC middleweight Bo Nickal is already planning to compete on the White House lawn, which is expected to cost a pretty penny to repair. But even Trump’s weighty vote may not be enough if Nickal gets smoked by Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 322 next month in New York.
“I’m planning on being on that card,” Nickal told Ariel Helwani. “That’s history. That’s exciting. That’s something I feel like I would be ecstatic and grateful to be a part of. I’ve got to take care of business. I’ve talked with President Trump; he wants me on the card. I’m sure that if things line up, we’ll make it happen. I was on FOX promoting the RAF [Real American Freestyle] event.”
“He obviously watches that,” Nickal continued. “I was on FOX and Friends. He called me up and sent me some encouragement. We talked about the card for a second. I told him that I want to get on it, and he said, ‘done deal.’ Him and Dana [White] are obviously very close. If he puts a good word on my behalf, then it’s probably putting me in a good position.”
Trump and White have a personal and professional relationship that dates back to the early days of UFC when the promotion was staging events at the real estate mogul’s casinos in Atlantic City. In fact, White was a major part of both presidential campaigns, which saw Trump elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.
Nickal, 29, is 7-1 in mixed martial arts (MMA) with six finishes.
