Dana White Insists He'll 'Never' Hold Another UFC Event at White House After Controversial Fight: 'I Can't Afford It'

UFC President and CEO Dana White claimed he would "never" host a fight at the White House ever again.

"I can't afford it," he told reporters. "There's no f---ing way we can do this again."

UFC Freedom 250 was held just steps from the White House's front doors on the evening of Sunday, June 15, in honor of President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary.

"This was a one of one that will never happen again," White added. "This was a unique, cool experience."

The $60 million event, promoted as the biggest fight in UFC history, was staged around “The Claw,” a 92-foot-tall, 600-ton fighting structure erected on the South Lawn.

It featured several fighters, including Justin Gaethje, who overthrew Ilia Topuria in the Sunday evening scuffle.

White added that he was never looking to "top" the UFC's larger-than-life events; he just wanted to find ways to put on exciting new shows for UFC fans.

"I'm always looking to go to great arenas with good technology and give fans that show up the best experience that I possibly can," he added.

The 56-year-old referred to the UFC's show at the Las Vegas Sphere, which took place in September 2024.

White called the event one of the "top" moments during his 25-year tenure with the company. However, he added that the UFC would likely never put on a second, explosive show there, either.

"I'll never do the Sphere again and I'll never do this again," White laughed, referencing the massive White House fight.

The White House painted the evening's fights between some of the UFC's biggest stars as a major success despite protests from members of the Democratic Party.

"Whether it’s under Friday night lights, on the court or in the octagon, competition reminds us of the qualities that keep America strong, like determination and perseverance, and the belief that anything is possible with hard work,” a social media post read.

“Welcome to the biggest stage on earth, UFC. Job incredibly well done,” it concluded.

The event was reportedly shunned by celebrity guests who have supported UFC in the past, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Adam Sandler, Jared Leto and Mario Lopez.

It was criticized as "out of touch," according to The Hill, as two Virginia residents attempted to block the fight from happening altogether.

Even UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell criticized the fight, saying that the government was meant to "protect us, not entertain us."

"What I think personally is our government is desecrating its role in society by entertaining sports,” Mitchell said. “Our government is to protect and serve the people and really should be as minimal as possible.”