The UFC will take to the White House’s South Lawn in two weeks time. Veteran broadcaster Joe Rogan isn’t convinced that’s a good thing.
The seven-bout fight card is the most expensive production in UFC history. It could also prove one of the most divisive, albeit for reasons that go far beyond politics.
Rogan is the latest in a series of UFC acolytes who have cast doubt over the viability of the event.
Here’s what you need to know.
MORE: Everything to know about UFC White House card
Why Joe Rogan doesn’t like UFC White House card
Rogan expressed reservations over the prospect of holding a fight card on the White House lawn, calling the spectacle — which will coincide with “America 250” celebrations and commemorate Donald Trump’s 80th birthday — a “gimmick.”
“I don’t like the idea of fighting outside at all. There are too many problems with it,” Rogan said on a recent episode of his podcast. “In June, in D.C., we looked it up last year — the same day was 100 degrees. Hot as f—.”
🚨Joe Rogan does not like the fact that the UFC White House event is outside and says there could be many problems surrounding the event 😬
“I don’t like the idea of fighting outside at all. There are too many problems with it.
In June, in DC, we looked it up last year — the… pic.twitter.com/IsNZokcZeZ
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) May 27, 2026
An ardent Trump ally who supported the president throughout his 2024 campaign, Rogan is still expected to lend his broadcasting chops to the event, which will be headlined by Ilia Topuria’s clash with Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira’s showdown with Ciryl Gane. Construction for the event — officially titled UFC Freedom 250 — began earlier this week.
“I just don’t think you should compete in a world championship fight in a non-controlled environment,” Rogan said. “It should be inside an air-conditioned arena.
“You wouldn’t ask them to play a world championship basketball game outside in the sun. That would be crazy.”
Rogan offered a number of criticisms over the fight card’s logistics, making special mention of the prevalence of insects on the White House grounds.
“How are they going to do anything about the bugs,” Rogan queried.
He wasn’t the only one to share such concerns. UFC president Dana White detailed the Rose Garden’s “gnat situation” during a recent interview with Boardroom.
“President Trump just opened the Rose Garden two nights ago, and he invited me to dinner there,” White said. “The amount of gnats that were flying around, I’m like, ‘Holy s—t.’
“As soon as I got on the plane, I called my head of production and said, ‘Yeah, let me tell you about the gnat situation tonight.’ So when you’re a fighter, think about that lighting grid, the claw that we’re gonna have, the amount of power in the lights. Moths, gnats, and God knows what else. Fighters trying to deal with that… These are all the little details that we have to think about. That’s why I don’t like fighting outside. Ever.”
Is UFC White House card outside?
Much to Rogan and White’s chagrin, the UFC White House card will be competed outside. The event will take place on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump said he expects more than 4,000 people to attend the festivities. No public tickets will be made available. Earlier in the month, White revealed that most of the fight card’s attendees will be military, per MMA Junkie.
The card is expected to cost around $60 million to put on, with $700,000 of that total coming from replacing the White House lawn, per MMA Fighting. UFC’s parent company, TKO, is expected to foot all of the bill. In February, TKO president Mark Shapiro revealed that the company will be unable to turn a profit from the festivities.
Where is the UFC White House card?
UFC Freedom 250 card will be held on the White House’s South Lawn in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Combat Sports Commission will not regulate the fight, as it is to be held on federal grounds. In March, the commission announced that the fights on the card could not be recognized on athletes’ official records as the UFC was unwilling to pay the $100 permit required to hold the event.
In response to the announcement, the UFC revealed that the Association of Boxing Commissions, an entity which supervises boxing and MMA contests across the country, will be on hand to “serve as an independent third party to advise on the regulatory operations.”
“As the event is being held on federal property, there is no requirement for the UFC to select a state athletic commission to oversee the event,” Association of Boxing Commissions president Timothy Shipman wrote in a statement released on March 19. “The UFC expresses its commitment to ensuring that this event is among the most thoroughly regulated in the history of the sport and has requested that the ABC serve as an independent third party to assist in assembling the most qualified group of judges, referees, and inspectors in the world.”
Read the full article here