‘Eating the whole thing’ – Dana White hands UFC fans major boost ahead of White House card

The UFC will cover the entire cost for the White House card, meaning taxpayer funds will not be used to pay additional expenses.

That’s according to UFC CEO Dana White, who has revealed plans for his promotion to splash the cash for the White House event, which is expected to take place in June.

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The concept of a UFC White House card seemed surreal when US President Donald Trump first announced his intentions to make it happen.

However, White has since made the blockbuster event official, with Trump claiming there will be ‘eight or nine’ championship fights on the card.

The UFC’s first show of 2026 took place last weekend as Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett in a barn burner main event to win the interim lightweight title.

White had said he would get the ball rolling in terms of matchmaking for the White House card after the Las Vegas show, and he is now turning full attention to the finer details.

Dana White: UFC eating entire costs of White House card

Speaking to the Sports Business Journal, the 56-year-old was asked if taxpayer funds will be used to pay for the White House show.

“No, we’re eating the whole thing,” White responded.

“It’s going to be a historic one-of-one fight, and just like I talked about with the Sphere, we’re going to make the Sphere look like f****** ash tray money.”

The UFC put on the first ever sporting event at the Las Vegas Sphere in September 2024.

White reportedly spent around $20million on the event to transform the Sphere into an arena fit for a highly produced UFC event.

How much will White House card cost UFC?

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No figure has been put forward yet in terms of how much the White House card will cost the UFC, but the number is likely to be far higher than what was spent on the Sphere.

White revealed in October that he will stomach an eye-watering $700,000 to replace the grass on the South Lawn for UFC White House.

“There is no doubt about it, this is going to be the most challenging event we have ever done,” White said.

“I’m coming off a stadium event, which I don’t like stadiums, to the thing that I hate the most in outdoor events…

“This is just one little piece I was talking about last night: To replace the grass, because we’re going to f*** up the South Lawn — $700,000 just to replace the grass.”

White plans to take over Washington, DC, for the entire week ahead of UFC White House.

No fights have been confirmed for the card yet, but White has said 5,000 people will be Octagonside on the South Lawn to watch it.

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He has also said that roughly 85,000 fans will be at The Ellipse across the street watching the event on big screens.

The promotion continues its packed start to 2026 with UFC 325 in Sydney this weekend.