Dana White’s ‘gift to America’ narrative for the UFC’s White House event was immediately shot down by one of the promotion’s own veteran fighters. In an interview with Pat McAfee yesterday, the UFC CEO asserted that the upcoming marquee event was in no way political and that people on either side of the aisle could support it. As he put it, “If you love America, you’re going to love this event.” However, Gray Maynard, an over-10-year UFC veteran, has now pushed back on the narrative.

Maynard took to social media to challenge Dana White‘s ‘no politics’ claim, arguing the event’s timing was a clear tribute to Donald Trump, not the nation.

“Just to be clear. June 14th is NOT America’s birthday. It’s Trump’s birthday,” wrote the 46-year-old on X. “It also happens to be Flag Day, which doesn’t mean sh-t about birthdays. This is a fight card for his king, Trump’s birthday. Not America, so was the bulls–t waste of money military parade. It was on June 14.”

Maynard’s point is factually grounded. America’s 250th anniversary falls on July 4th, not June 14th. The June 14 date aligns with Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and Flag Day. Maynard’s argument is that the event’s scheduling undermines White’s insistence that it has nothing to do with politics.

This is not the first time Maynard and White have been at odds. In 2012, White publicly criticized Maynard’s fighting style after a dull bout with Clay Guida, sparking a rift between them. They appeared to settle into neutral territory for years before Maynard’s exit from the promotion and retirement in 2019. His latest comment seems to have reopened the divide.

For those unaware, Gray Maynard had an almost twelve-year stint in the leading MMA promotion from 2007 to 2019 and was known for his rivalry with lightweight great Frankie Edgar. During his time in the promotion, he also fought fellow veterans like Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. His last fight was against Nik Lentz at the massive UFC 229 in 2018.

Gray Maynard was responding to the interview, wherein Dana White addressed both the funding and the political narrative of the event directly.

Dana White insists not $1 of taxpayer money will go into the UFC White House event

As per reports, the cost of the historic event would be approximately $60 million. But before any speculation arose about funding the event with the taxpayers’ money, the UFC CEO shut down the notion with a direct statement.

“We’re paying the entire bill on all of this,” White said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Everything that you see, not $1 of taxpayer money, will go into this. And this is the UFC’s gift to the 250th birthday of America.

“This isn’t about politics. This is about the United States, what this country is about, how it was built, where we all came from.”

The UFC will install an Octagon on the South Lawn. The event is projected to have about 3,000 to 4,000 guests seated cageside. This won’t be open to the public. However, a secondary viewing area at The Ellipse—the President’s Park South—will accommodate up to 85,000 fans, with tickets given out free and distributed through a random drawing (lottery) system.

Whether Dana White’s framing holds up to scrutiny depends largely on where one sits politically. While White is determined to frame the event as a patriotic celebration, Maynard’s vocal dissent guarantees the debate over its political undertones will continue long after the final bell.