Trump plans to turn White House South Lawn into arena for his 80th birthday brawl

WASHINGTON, DC: President Trump has announced plans to build an arena on the South Lawn of the White House to host a fight event in celebration of his upcoming 80th birthday. 

The event, reportedly organized in partnership with UFC and its CEO Dana White, is planned to include championship‑level bouts and a variety of associated spectacles.

What was initially envisioned as a grand affair with tens of thousands of spectators has since been scaled down, but the event remains on track.

Donald Trump's arena on South Lawn

When asked by a reporter at the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, Trump confirmed on Monday that an arena is officially in the works.

He told reporters, “They’re building an arena, the great Dana White is building an arena.”

Commenting on the scale of the event, Trump said, “The biggest fights they’ve ever had. Every one’s a championship fight. And every one’s a legendary type of fight.”

The intent is to set up a cage‑match fight event styled after UFC bouts right on the historic grounds of the White House.

Originally, the plan reportedly envisioned a seating capacity of around 20,000 spectators. However, those numbers have been scaled back significantly. The latest plan calls for an arena with a capacity of about 5,000 seats. 

White, a longtime friend and supporter of Trump, who also publicly supported him in the 2024 presidential election, is overlooking the preparations for the event.

Trump also claimed that White is currently holding back on organizing some fights, reserving them for this White House spectacle.

White, meanwhile, described the event as “the greatest fight card ever assembled in the history of, at least, definitely this company.”

UFC event on Donald Trump's birthday

The planned event is accompanied by a host of other spectacles beyond bare‑knuckle fights, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal. 

There will be weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, and various fan‑oriented activities across the National Mall, including autograph signings and punching bags for tourists to test their skills. 

A dramatic display is also planned with a combination of laser and firework shows, plus a jumbo screen for viewers on the Ellipse. Some fighters might even warm up at the White House according to the report.

Planning for the event is said to include assistance from Ivanka Trump, who reportedly holds a blue belt in jiu‑jitsu.

The event was originally slated for July 4, 2026, coinciding with America’s 250th anniversary of independence. But due to too many events happening in Washington that week, the date was changed.

The current date set for the spectacle is June 14, 2026, which also happens to be Trump’s 80th birthday.

Trump acknowledged, “It happens to be my birthday, but I didn’t do it for that reason. ‘Sir, we like the June 14 date.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s my birthday.’ They didn’t know it. But they picked it. I’ll take a little heat on that, but it’s not that.”

Regarding fighters so far, the only confirmed participant is retired Irish fighter and supporter of Trump, Conor McGregor. Another high‑profile fighter, Jon Jones, has expressed interest in participating.

However, White reportedly downplayed the possibility of Jones being involved, citing trust issues and saying there was “a billion to one” chance of his participation.