Fighter Bryce Mitchell Blasts Donald Trump’s White House UFC Fight as Backlash Explodes

Bryce Mitchell is not buying the White House fight-night spectacle.

The UFC featherweight criticized President Donald Trump’s planned UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn, arguing that the government is stepping outside its role by hosting a cage-fighting card at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Mitchell, 31, made clear that his issue is not with the fighters or the promotion. The June 14 event is scheduled for Trump’s 80th birthday and Flag Day, and Mitchell said the card is “literally the perfect scenario” for UFC.

“First off, I ain’t jealous of any of those fighters,” Mitchell told reporters at UFC media day. “I am so happy for those fighters.”

He added that if UFC needed him as a fill-in and he was healthy, he would do it. But politically, he said, the event crosses a line.

“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.”

Mitchell, who faces Santiago Luna at UFC Fight Night 278, said taxpayers and government resources should not be used to stage entertainment.

“When you're doing all of this stuff, hosting sporting events, it's really outside of what the goal of government was intended to be because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation,” he said.

He closed with the line now driving attention around his comments: “The government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us.”

Mitchell also weighed in after UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland claimed he was banned from attending the White House event after criticizing Israel.

“Freedom of speech is what really makes this country great,” Mitchell said. “When you can't criticize a foreign nation, a foreign nation, come on, man.”

Mitchell’s criticism is notable because he has previously expressed strong support for Trump, telling reporters in 2024 that he would “take a bullet and die” for him before later saying the president “tricked” him on the Epstein files.

The White House UFC event has already faced pushback from inside the MMA world. Joe Rogan called the outdoor spectacle a “gimmick,” while UFC CEO Dana White admitted Trump would likely face political backlash.

Trump, however, has embraced the arena’s visual drama. He compared the temporary structure to the Eiffel Tower and floated leaving it up permanently.

For Mitchell, that is exactly the problem. The fight card may be a dream moment for UFC, but to him, the White House cage has turned into something bigger and more troubling than a sporting event.