Opinion: President Trump Puts UFC on the Front Burner

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Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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There wasn’t an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on July 5, but that doesn’t mean the organization failed to make unprecedented waves. Perhaps it wasn’t the UFC itself, but thanks to President Donald Trump’s proclamation that he’s interested in hosting a championship fight on the White House grounds in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday in 2026, the organization was the talk of the sports world over the Independence Day weekend.

Would it be possible to hold an event at the White House? Given the multiple assassination attempts on Trump during his 2024 campaign, there’s reason to believe allowing thousands of people on the grounds of the world’s most famous home might not be a great idea. Then again, Trump has always been a showman, and nothing would be flashier than a high-profile fight in his backyard. If there’s someone who doesn’t take no for an answer, it’s Trump. Thus, I find it hard to believe any sane person would say he won’t find a way to get it done if that’s what he really wants.

Other debates center on who would headline such a show. To no one’s surprise, Conor McGregor was quick to throw his name in the hat, even though he has not fought since breaking his leg in 2021. Regardless of how one feels about the polarizing former champion, his name tends to garner attention. I may not prefer having McGregor step foot in the Octagon again, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an overwhelming majority that would like to see him do his thing one more time. Remember how many people tuned in to see a 58-year-old Mike Tyson strap on the gloves against Jake Paul? If there’s something that would entice McGregor to actually fight again, a historic event at the White House would do it. He would certainly bring plenty of eyeballs.

While people debate whether the event is even feasible and discuss who should draw the headlining assignment, there’s something that many are overlooking. The fact that an MMA event is being discussed in reference to what’s expected to be one of the largest Independence Day celebrations in the country’s history is an indication of just how far the sport has come.

Just think about where the sport was the last time the United States had a major birthday party, the bicentennial in 1976. It was nonexistent. Yes, I know the Gracie challenge was a thing in Brazil at the time and Gene LeBell had fought Milo Savage in Salt Lake City more than a decade earlier. However, if someone were to say mixed martial arts or MMA in 1976, people would have no clue what you were talking about. It would be over 20 years from that time before MMA meant something to even a small pocket of people, as most fans would refer to it as No Holds Barred or NHB in the early years of the UFC.

The reason the name evolved into MMA is further proof of how far the sport has come. It’s no secret opportunistic politicians made an example of the sport in the mid- to late 1990s, with Arizona Senator John McCain leading the way. Given that the UFC was the largest organization in North America, it received the brunt of the attacks and was largely driven off pay-per-view. In the process, the sport nearly went under. Now, roughly 30 years after some of those who still serve in Washington, D.C. tried to drive it into extinction, MMA could be the highlight of the celebration for one of the country’s most significant birthdays.

I’m not going to go as far as UFC CEO Dana White and proclaim that MMA is going to be the biggest sport in the world. I do believe it’s one of the biggest sports in the world, but there’s too wide a swath of the world’s population who just can’t take the violence. I can’t say it’s the largest sport in the United States, either, as football remains king. Wouldn’t it make more sense for something like MLB’s All-Star Game to be moved back a bit to take place next year on July 4? Baseball is considered America’s Pastime after all. Nope. The UFC appears to be taking the spotlight from the sport with the deepest roots.

The growth of MMA has been nothing short of amazing. While I recognize it has benefited at a time when cable television and social media allowed for rapid growth, it has still grown at a pace that would have made any of the other mainstream sports in North America jealous. It’s something longtime followers of the sport should take a moment to appreciate, myself included. I don’t want to say MMA fans are a cynical bunch—that distinction belongs to sports fans, in general—but seriously, appreciate the moment.

We should reconsider the things about which we tend to complain. Too many UFC events. Good heavyweight fights are rare. White’s behavior as the sport’s frontman. These are good problems to have. I’d rather have too many events than too few; bad flyweight fights are just as rare as good heavyweight fights; and while White can be abrasive, he has taken the UFC from being on death’s doorstep to being at the forefront of a billion-dollar industry. Luck certainly played a part, but his role can’t be denied. We’re all indebted to him to some extent.

When I heard Trump say the White House was going to host a title fight next year, I smiled, and not because I thought it would or wouldn’t happen. I smiled because the juxtaposition of where MMA has been and where it currently stands hit me like a ton of bricks. The little niche sport in which I took an interest all those years ago is in serious consideration to be at the heart one of the largest celebrations in this young century. It’s part of the American and global fabric. It isn’t a passing fad. Nothing lasts forever, but MMA has undeniably arrived, and it’s here to stay for a long time.