Former UFC champion hits Dana White with ‘clown show’ accusation before Freedom 250 event

Just days after Jake Paul and MVP wrap up their Ronda Rousey comeback event, Dana White and UFC are set to hold their Freedom 250 event at the White House on Jun. 14, 2026.  TKO and UFC share a close relationship with the USA President Donald Trump and Freedom 250 will take place on Trump’s birthday, June 14, at the White House. The weigh-ins for it will be conducted at the Lincoln Memorial. The event is also set to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

A completely free event to attend, the Freedom 250 will be specially hosted for the country’s military, with special investment opportunity tickets available at $1.5 million. Despite a stacked card set to take place on the White House lawn and attended by multiple notable guests and celebrities, former UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson was not impressed.

During an interview with talkSPORT ahead of his comeback at PFL Brussels against Patrick Habirora, Henderson shared his thoughts on UFC Freedom 250. “I definitely won’t be tuning in to watch that,” Henderson said. “I feel like my country — the White House is not supposed to be a spectacle. And they’re turning it into a literal spectacle, a clown show, a circus, which is cool if you like circuses, clown shows and spectacles.

“There’s a reason why we go to these entertainment events, but they’re supposed to be at entertainment venues,” Henderson continued. “I feel like the highest seats of our house, the White House for our country, is not supposed to be a spectacle, not supposed to be a clown show. It kind of makes me sad. I’m happy to have been in the UFC and done my part to help further the sport of mixed martial arts, to help make it legitimate. But making it a spectacle, making it a show, making it a clown show, making it a circus on my country’s White House… I think it’s a disservice. It’s a disservice to the White House and it’s a disservice, actually, to mixed martial arts as well.”

Henderson joined UFC in 2010 and stayed with the MMA promotion till 2016, before switching and joining hands with Bellator.

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