Staggering new UFC White House details emerge in statement from TKO

TKO President Mark Shapiro has revealed an interesting detail about the upcoming UFC White House card on 14 June.

UFC President Dana White has already confirmed that the card will take place on the grounds of the White House on 14 June, which is also President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.

Speaking on CBS Mornings in January, the UFC President suggested that around 5,000 people will be able to attend the event on the South Lawn, while another 85,000 may be able to watch from a nearby park.

White also teased music throughout the day and said the UFC are “basically going to take over DC”.

“The fighters will actually walk from the Oval Office to the Octagon,” White explained.

But which fighters could compete on the card?

Earlier this week, White addressed what he described as “total BS” after rumours of Conor McGregor fighting Michael Chandler circulated.

Mark Shapiro has spoken out (Credit:Getty)

Jon Jones has also been linked with a return following his 2025 retirement, but White has previously suggested that he does not “trust him”.

Meanwhile, TKO executive Mark Shapiro has offered details about the finances involved.

The event is reportedly projected to cost around $60 million, which, according to Shapiro, could see TKO and the UFC actually lose money rather than profit from the event.

“At the moment, the UFC event at the White House is slated to cost upwards of $60 million,” Shapiro explained.

“By the time all is said and done, and what we pay the fighters and the fan fest, that could move north — it’s definitely not moving south. It’s still a moving target. We’re working to determine, on a parallel track, a package of inventory in and around the weekend of events that we can monetise, primarily with corporate partners, which will offset half of the spending. Even if that 60 goes up, we believe we can offset half of the spend.

“We have several prospective partners that are pursuing multi-year partnerships with TKO assets that will likely be inclusive of the White House event. They are inquiring about inventory as part of their greater partnership deals that they either already have or are negotiating for the future. We will not profit from the White House event independently. We will not be making money on America’s 250th Anniversary. This is an investment for the long term. This is about earned media, sampling new fans and casual viewers, and a spectacle on a stage that will ultimately expand our audience, our viewership and our success on Paramount+.”

Of course, the UFC are in the early stages of their $7.7 billion rights deal with Paramount.

It remains unclear what the UFC White House card will look like.