The world of Mixed Martial Arts skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years, especially with the traction of the most prestigious league packed with prized belts and stardom — the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
New MMA fans are on the edge of their seats after U.S. President Donald Trump promised that CEO and face of the UFC, Dana White, would host a UFC White House card on June 14, 2026, with eight to nine title fights to mark the occasion. A night promised to go down in MMA history.
“The great Dana White’s building an arena. And they’re going to have eight or nine championship fights – The biggest fights they’ve ever had,” Trump said, speaking to reporters at a Kennedy Center event in December.
But given the number of injuries, the need to keep the ranking system moving, and the limited number of weight classes, is this really possible?
Ari Emanuel, CEO and executive chair of UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC, has made it clear that Trump’s claim is highly improbable.
“There’s going to be 6-7 fights June 14th,” Emanuel said on The Pat McAfee Show in a clip posted in an ESPN article.
It is unclear who will be on the card, but Emanuel hopes everyone will be watching.
“[Dana White] hasn’t said to us what the card is going to be, but I know they are working pretty hard on it right now,” Emanuel said.
Emanuel is not the only person involved in combat sports. Many athletes also follow the upcoming events and fighters breaking into the professional scene.
Injury and risk make quick turnaround performances difficult
UFC enthusiast and amateur Kickboxing fighter Daniel Dera offered some insights into the sport’s often unpredictable nature to the Calgary Journal, stressing that injury risks and preparation time make quick turnaround performances difficult for champions.
Dera is in the middle of his own fight camp to prepare for a bout, but says balancing training and life can be difficult.
“It’s a lot of time you put into these training camps, it’s not like you go train for an hour a day and come back home and that’s it – there’s a lot behind the scenes,” Dera said. “You spend a lot of time away from family, I’m sure, as a champion.”
UFC and Paramount+ deal
The UFC recently struck a deal with Paramount+ to move away from the traditional Pay-Per-View model.
As a result, a huge wave of newcomers has recently hit the audience, as it is much cheaper to own Paramount+ ($89.99) than to pay for all PPVs in an entire calendar year ($1,167).
This Paramount+ deal is currently only available in the U.S. until further notice.
This move, appealing to a larger audience, puts extra pressure on the need for regular title fights in the UFC, or on a model similar to last year’s once-a-month title fight card.
Kevin Holland vs Michal Oleksiejczuk Full Fight UFC 302
With only 12 weight classes in the UFC, avid fight fans are wondering whether this type of event is feasible, given the recovery time and activity required of the champions and contenders on the card.
“The whole purpose of having one or maybe two title fights on the main card is to really get the excitement from each fan,” Dera said. “You have to wait one month per PPV, and they have one, maybe two title fights per PPV – Nine is a nightmare.”
On the official UFC website, statistics for each fighter are posted, showing activity and fight records. Most fighters fight two or three times per year, while very few fight more often.
Athletes such as Kevin Holland, who competes in Welterweight and Middleweight, fought five times in 2020, a rare level of activity.
Whereas athletes such as the recent Middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev, are more known for fighting once a year due to injury or other reasons.
Trump’s connection to the UFC
Founded in 1993, the UFC billed itself as the stage where the world would witness a beautiful display of controlled martial arts. Throughout its lifespan, it began to gain traction until a Japanese organization called PRIDE Fighting Championships entered the scene on Oct. 11, 1997, setting the world on fire with fights that went down in history.
In the early 2000s, the UFC began to struggle with viewership and was banned in many states due to the display of televised violence.
FULL FIGHT REPLAY! Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev #UFC273 🔥
Trump is a close friend of UFC CEO and Founder Dana White, who offered a venue for UFC 30 and UFC 31. While Trump does not have business ties to the organization, he has shown political and personal relationships with those involved in the UFC.
His affiliation with the UFC is only platonic.
Why is it not really possible to have 8-9 title fights on one card
Given the athlete activity, injuries, and the growing traction of the UFC and Martial Arts scene, it is far too risky to promise an event of that magnitude, as it could set the rest of the year up for less success than what has proven successful.
Trump’s pledge of eight to nine title fights is unrealistic.
Emanuel also indicated the card would feature fewer fights.
But White – the head of the UFC – has yet to weigh in publicly on what Trump or Emanuel has said.
The Calgary Journal asked TKO Group Holdings to comment on Trump’s promise of eight to nine title fights – but did not receive a response by our deadline.
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