A UFC fight at the White House on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday is to be shown on TV, with Trump and UFC CEO Dana White “spearheading the telecast,” Variety reports. It says the June 14, 2026, gala will be one of the first UFC events to be broadcast under a $7.7 billion deal between UFC and Paramount, now controlled by the MAGA media mogul David Ellison. The fight night will officially be part of a series of events to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, but just happens to coincide with the president’s milestone birthday. Variety reports that the current plan will see dignitaries attend a dinner before heading to the Octagon, which will be set up on the White House lawn, to watch the fight. Paramount’s seven-year deal for exclusive Ultimate Fighting Championship broadcast rights came shortly after the company’s acquisition by Ellison’s Skydance in August. Ellison, son of multibillionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison, has said he wants to see “less elitist” coverage on Paramount’s networks, including CBS News. Since his takeover, CBS has seen mass layoffs and high-profile departures, as well as the controversial appointment of MAGA-curious Free Press founder Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief at CBS News.
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