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UFC's White House MMA Event Loses $30M, Draws 34M Viewers

8/5/2026

Summary

UFC Hosts Whitehouse

UFC staged the Freedom 250 mixed-martial-arts card on the White House South Lawn in June, incurring an approximate $30 million loss.
U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and an estimated 4,300 guests attended the invite-only event.
The Paramount+ broadcast averaged 34 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched MMA events.
UFC’s Q2 2026 revenue rose 29 percent to $535.7 million while EBITDA climbed 15 percent to $280.4 million despite the loss.

Summary

Democrats Probe UFC

Democratic staff released a report titled “From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday,” investigating the Freedom 250 event.
Freedom 250 staged the UFC fight on the White House South Lawn, the first combat-sports contest there, under President Donald Trump’s initiative.
The ceremony featured a flyover, guests Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Vice President JD Vance, while The Daily Beast sought UFC comment.

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UFC Hosts Whitehouse

UFC staged the Freedom 250 mixed-martial-arts card on the White House South Lawn in June, incurring an approximate $30 million loss.
U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and an estimated 4,300 guests attended the invite-only event.
The Paramount+ broadcast averaged 34 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched MMA events.
UFC’s Q2 2026 revenue rose 29 percent to $535.7 million while EBITDA climbed 15 percent to $280.4 million despite the loss.

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