President Donald Trump set the combat sports world on fire earlier this year when he revealed plans for a UFC event on the White House grounds. The announcement instantly dominated headlines and became the centerpiece of every interview. Even fighters who had been inactive on the sidelines suddenly resurfaced, eager to throw their names into the mix. After all, it wasn’t just historic for the UFC, but also for the combat world.

According to UFC CEO Dana White, the official lineup won’t be finalized until February 2026. And he has previously talked about big screens and Octagon arrangements. The event is scheduled for June 14th, on Trump’s birthday, but beyond that, details have been scarce. Recently, however, the president offered new insight into the developing plans—only for MMA journalist Ariel Helwani to quickly step in and correct him.

What mistake did Donald Trump make?

Speaking to reporters at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, President Donald Trump claimed the card will feature an unprecedented number of title fights. “They’re building an arena, the great Dana White’s building an arena,” Trump told the horde of reporters gathered at the venue. “And they’re gonna have eight or nine championship fights, the biggest fights they’ve ever had. Every one’s a championship fight, and everyone’s a legendary type of fighter.”

Trump even suggested that Dana White is intentionally holding back major matchups so they can be showcased on the White House lawn. “He’s actually holding back fights right now, for six months, so he can do it for 250. I think 250’s gonna be amazing,” Trump added during his statement. He went on to share a preview of what the live setup might look like.

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“I think the arena’s gonna be 5,000 or 6,000 seats, right in front of the front door of the White House, and 100,000 people in the back, where they’re putting up eight or ten very big screens,” he said. Ariel Helwani reacted to the clip live on The Ariel Helwani Show, quickly noting that Trump had made an error when referring to the event as UFC 250.

“Now, I think he might have misspoke, far be it for me to correct,” Helwani said before playing Trump’s video. He later clarified that UFC 250 took place in June 2020 and was headlined by “Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer.”

With the UFC already scheduled through UFC 326 on March 7—headlined by Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira 2—the White House event’s official number remains unclear. Chronologically, however, it would line up to be UFC 330. Regardless of the number, while Helwani was busy pointing out the mistake, UFC’s Jon Anik reflected on Trump’s insights.

Jon Anik backs Donald Trump’s ‘eight or nine’ title fights claim

Jon Anik has thrown surprising support behind Donald Trump’s bold claim that the proposed UFC White House event could feature eight or nine title fights. Speaking on the Anik & Florian Podcast, the veteran commentator explained that the UFC calendar is shaping up in a way that makes the idea less far-fetched than many initially believed.

“A lot of that is actually rooted in truth,” Anik said. He noted that after UFC 324 and UFC 325 wrap up early next year, numerous champions—including Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, Khamzat Chimaev, Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, and even Alexander Volkanovski—could all be available at the same time.

It appears Donald Trump has gotten the public talking once again, thanks to his revelations about the UFC White House card. However, only time will tell whether the UFC can live up to those promises. Do you think it will?