Donald Trump has made a bold prediction for the upcoming UFC White House card, claiming the historic event could end up drawing bigger numbers than any sporting event ever before.
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With UFC Freedom 250 just a few weeks away, the POTUS toured the ongoing construction on the South Lawn and outlined his expectations in an exclusive conversation with Fox Nation. Standing in front of the growing venue, Donald Trump emphasized the event’s uniqueness and how its popularity could reach unprecedented levels.
“It’s right at the front door of the White House,” he said. “You’ll never see it again, and it’s never happened before. It’s going to be great, and the UFC’s gonna have all the best fighters in the world coming that night.
“Dana White is an amazing man, and he’s done an amazing job; he’s put together something that will be the highest-rated event maybe ever in sports.”
Donald Trump also singled out UFC CEO and his close buddy Dana White for praise.
“What (Dana White) has done is amazing,” he added. “I’m not sure anybody could’ve done it but him. You don’t usually say that, but not many people could’ve; he’s a very special man.”
The confidence isn’t entirely surprising. UFC Freedom 250 has been one of the most heavily discussed combat sports events in recent memory ever since the POTUS first proposed the idea. And the card is loaded with mouthwatering fights as Ilia Topuria defends his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje, while Alex Pereira fights Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship in the co-main event.
Donald Trump has also been far more involved than a typical host. He was the man who urged Dana White to add Derrick Lewis to the card, and he also unveiled the special Freedom 250 championship belt, a unique championship gold made specifically for the event.
He has also regularly spoken about the event’s significance as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. To make sure that the visuals also fit the expectations, the UFC is going all out with the design. Construction of the temporary venue continues to accelerate.
The UFC’s massive structure known as “The Claw” is finally taking shape on the White House lawn, providing fans their best look yet of what promises to be one of the most unusual settings in combat sports history. And that unusual design choice and the idea to fight outdoors are also the reasons why many critics are against UFC Freedom 250.
One of the most prominent names in this discussion, of course, is Joe Rogan, as just days before Donald Trump made this massive claim about the UFC White House being the biggest sports event, the JRE host talked about how dangerous and bizarre he believes the card is in the first place.
Joe Rogan is not shying away from criticizing Donald Trump and Dana White’s brainchild
As Donald Trump continues to predict record-breaking numbers for UFC Freedom 250, one of the promotion’s most recognizable voices remains skeptical that the event is even a good idea. In fact, as fight night approaches, Joe Rogan seems to be doubling down on his concerns.
Rather than focusing on politics or the spectacle itself, Joe Rogan repeatedly returns to what he believes to be the most pressing issue: asking world-class fighters to fight for titles in an environment over which the promotion has no control.
“There’s going to be a UFC event on the White House lawn,” Rogan told comedian Harland Williams on his podcast. “That seems like a good, safe place to be. Huh? Everybody’s gonna know where all the world leaders are going to be. We are all gonna be stuck sitting in that spot for six hours calling fights. Super safe! I feel completely safe!
“I don’t like it because it’s outside. I think a world championship fight should be in a controlled environment, out of respect for the athletes and how difficult it is to compete professionally for a world title.”
To make things more interesting, this wasn’t even the first time that the JRE host raised this issue on his podcast. In fact, just a few days ago he raised similar points against this passion project.
His frustration even led the JRE host to sarcastically suggest building a roof over the entire venue rather than staging title fights on an open lawn.
“Listen, build a f—— roof,” he said on the JRE MMA show. “Build a roof. Like, you’ve got all the money in the world, right? You’re doing this; you wanna do this for f—— America.
“It’s 4,000 seats? You build a 4,000-seat arena. How big is it? Get a f—— barndominium. Put it in there!”
Perhaps most interestingly, Joe Rogan’s concerns no longer sound like crazy speculation. Dana White has already stated that the bug situation at the White House caught his attention after a recent visit and how lightning can put a halt on the event. And that makes the buzz around UFC Freedom 250 even more interesting.
Even though the POTUS sees a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle with the potential to break records, some of those closest to the event aren’t certain that fighting on the White House lawn is the smartest idea.
