Top 5: Donald Trump UFC Moments

President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the mixed martial arts industry at a “Salute to America” event in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 3, when he revealed his desire to stage an Ultimate Fighting Championship show at the White House in Washington, D.C., in 2026. It would be held in conjunction with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“We’re going to have special events in honor of the [250th anniversary of the United States],” Trump said. “I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight. Does anybody watch the UFC, the great [UFC CEO] Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight—think of this—on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We’re going to build a little. We’re not. Dana’s going to do it. Dana’s great, one of a kind.”

Trump then proceeded to up the ante.

“We’re going to have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20, 25 thousand people, and we’re going to do that as part of 250 also,” he said. “We’re going to have some incredible events, professional events, some amateur events, but the UFC’s fights [are] going to be a big deal, too.”

Whether or not those plans come to fruition remain to be seen, as plenty of logistical obstacles—security for a man who has been targeted for assassination more than once figures to be a nightmare—seem certain to stand in the way. Nevertheless, it was yet another instance of Trump aligning himself with the most prominent mixed martial arts company in the world. Here are four others:

President Trump, Cabinet Members Attend UFC 314

Still in the midst of a victory lap after winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump attended UFC 314 in person at the Kaseya Center in Miami; and he was not alone. He was joined by a considerable entourage, including Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marco Rubio, Kash Patel, Elon Musk and Ted Cruz. Trump was greeted with a standing ovation by those in attendance. Alexander Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight crown in the main event, where he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over Diego Lopez. In the co-headliner, Paddy Pimblett took his first real step toward title contention at 155 pounds by stopping three-time Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler with third-round elbows and punches.

Jon Jones Hands President-Elect Trump Championship After UFC 309

Mere days after winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump was seated cageside for what may have been Jones’ final appearance inside the Octagon. It was a memorable one. “Bones” retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown in utterly dominant fashion, as he disposed of Stipe Miocic with a brutal spinning back kick to the body and follow-up punches in the third round of their UFC 309 headliner on Nov. 16, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Miocic met his end 4:29 into Round 3, then announced his retirement from the sport. Jones tormented the Strong Style Fight Team linchpin with rear-leg front kicks to the body, piercing jabs and thudding power punches. He took down Miocic with breathtaking ease in the first round and unsheathed his ground-and-pound to devastating effect. Jones put it in cruise control from that point forward. He buckled Miocic with a right cross in the third round, toyed with him a little longer and then fired the fight-ending kick into his ribs. A quick volley of punches mopped up what was left. Afterward, Jones broke into Trump’s signature dance and handed him the championship belt, declaring himself a “Christian American champion.” He retired in June but has since returned to the UFC’s anti-doping testing pool.

President Trump Hosts Colby Covington at White House

Covington executed repeated takedowns and captured the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title with a five-round unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC 225 co-main event on June 9, 2018 at the United Center in Chicago. All three judges sided with the polarizing Oregon native, awarding him marks of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. Never one to shy away from controversy, Covington accepted an invitation from President Trump to visit the White House less than two months later. Wearing a Make America Great Again hat, the onetime NCAA All-American wrestler was welcomed into the Oval Office, where he presented Trump with the belt and posed for pictures.

Trump Offers Zuffa Venue for UFC 30, UFC 31

The Ultimate Fighting Championship was still struggling for mainstream acceptance in the early 2000s, when Trump allowed the company to host UFC 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Feb. 23, 2001. It was viewed as a pivotal moment in the organization’s history, as venues had been hesitant to associate with mixed martial arts due to the “human cockfighting” label with which it had been branded. The show was the first held under the Zuffa banner and featured a pair of title bouts, as Tito Ortiz retained the undisputed light heavyweight championship with a slam knockout of Evan Tanner in the headliner and Jens Pulver captured the inaugural lightweight crown with a five-round unanimous decision over Caol Uno in the co-main event. UFC 31 touched down at the same arena some two months later. It marked the start of a long-lasting friendship between Trump and White, who remain staunch allies to this day.