Brandon Royval, who got his title shot after a quick knockout win over Matheus Nicolau in 2023, is taking the road less traveled.  He once boldly declared himself “the most disrespected fighter in the UFC”. Now, a new statement from Royval has surfaced regarding a UFC White House fight.

Royval, aka “Raw Dog”, recently appeared on In The Arena MMA w/MagicM & Nick Davis, and he made it clear that he isn’t interested in fighting at the White House. He also said that he wants to fight in front of a big crowd and real MMA fans, which is unlikely to be the case at the White House.

“ I don’t give a s*** about fighting at the f**** White House. I wanna fight in front of big crowds bro. It’s like how big can the White House even like, have of a stadium?” Royval said. “I don’t give a f*** about any of our political figures right now, and it’s like fighting in front of them just seems like some f*** hunger games”. Royval also mentioned that he always wants to fight in front of “raw dog fans.”

The White House showdown crowd isn’t going to be the normal crowd that people regularly see at UFC fights. It’s a White House, and obviously, it will include political figures and business magnates, and many other invited individuals who may not be true or ‘raw’ UFC fans, as Royval has mentioned.

According to the reports, the event will be confined to only 5,000 people in person due to security reasons. Possible guests for the events could be VIPs from around the world. Additionally, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, FBI Director Kash Patel, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr are expected to be on the list. So, Royval wasn’t wrong when he mentioned the game would be missing raw UFC fans.

Although Brandon Royval might not be interested in the event, former two-weight champion Conor McGregor and even retired fighter Jon Jones have shown interest in participating. This illustrates the significance of the event, which would also be viewed by more than 85,000 people on screen in a park connected to the White House.

The UFC showdown in front of the White House is a first-of-its-kind event, which is expected to take place in 2026. During an address on Sunday in Norfolk, Virginia, President Donald Trump announced that a major UFC fight will take place on June 14, 2020, at the White House grounds. The date also coincides with President Trump’s 80th birthday.

But the event will take place in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on the South Lawn of the White House. Although the event will be attended by only invited people, fans can watch the fights as soon as the broadcasting rights are cleared.

Where can fans watch the first-of-its-kind UFC White House in 2026?

The premium White House UFC event, where even changing the grass for the event will cost $700,000, will obviously garner massive views on screen. And fans might have to tune in to CBS to watch the unique event.

Although CBS hasn’t made any official announcement regarding the broadcasting rights, it is worth noting TKO’s relationship with CBS here.  CBS’s David Ellison-run parent company, Paramount, which is now a part of Paramount Skydance Corporation, signed a massive seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with TKO Group, which is the parent company of the UFC.

Royval might not be interested in the White House mega event, but it won’t stop the event from breaking new records. Joined by VIPs, celebrities, and legendary UFC fighters, the event might become the biggest highlight of the next year.