TKO Group CEO: UFC White House event will have “approximately” 6 to 7 fights (1:02)
TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to give details regarding the upcoming UFC White House event. (1:02)
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Brett OkamotoMar 13, 2026, 12:50 PM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
The UFC plans to make 85,000 free tickets available to the public for its unprecedented live event at the White House on June 14.
UFC CEO Dana White announced on Thursday the company intends to give away 85,000 tickets for an outdoor viewing experience at the Ellipse in Washington. The fights, which have been dubbed Freedom Fights 250 in honor of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, will take place nearby, on the South Lawn of the White House.
“There’s a park that’s right there,” White said. “We’re gonna be ticketing 85,000 people in the Ellipse and the tickets are free. We’ll announce how we’re gonna be giving them away soon, but you should plan on going to Washington, D.C., for this event.”
A lightweight title bout between undisputed champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje is scheduled to headline the event, which takes place on the same date as President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira will seek an unprecedented third belt when he faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship in the co-main event.
