Dana White confirms UFC White House attendance numbers and military involvement

Dana White has confirmed the attendance figure for the upcoming UFC event at the White House, while noting an emphasis on members of the military.

On 14 June, the UFC’s Octagon will be built on the South Lawn as a series of fights play out at an unprecedented event, celebrating 250 years of the United States.

The fight card, titled UFC Freedom 250, also coincides with the 80th birthday of US president Donald Trump, a close friend of UFC president and CEO White.

UFC president and CEO Dana White (Getty)

And with the event just five weeks away, White provided his latest update on Monday, telling Fox News: “[Trump] wants this to be mostly for the military, so there’s gonna be 4,300 people there.

“I just literally went over it right now; 4,300 people, and most of them will be military. 100 per cent [it’s a ‘thank you’ to the military].”

Confirming a prior plan for general fans to be limited to a nearby park, White added: “Across the street is the Ellipse. For those who don’t know, the Ellipse is a massive park. Literally, you’ll be able to see the fight[s] from the Ellipse, but we have screens, we’ve got stages, we’ve got music.

“If you are a fan of the UFC, and especially if you’ve never been to Washington DC, we’re gonna give away about 85,000 tickets. There’s a process, you have to register for tickets, and they’re free, but you should come to Washington DC that week. .”