Dana White says UFC will never stage White House event again

Dana White confirmed the UFC will not repeat its White House experiment.

The promotion staged UFC Freedom 250 on the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue last week, a made-for-TV spectacle that mixed fighters, politicians, and protestors into what ESPN called a "preposterous" and "very American" scene. White told ESPN the event succeeded in its goal but crossed a line the promotion will not revisit. "We'll never do this again," he said.

White House event drew praise and backlash

The card featured a handful of bouts and appearances by active roster members, with crowds split between supporters celebrating the UFC's proximity to power and critics who saw the event as an overreach. White said he was proud of what the promotion pulled off even as he acknowledged the blowback. The event managed to thrill some viewers while enraging others, a dynamic that mirrored broader American divisions, according to the ESPN report.

White has not announced whether any fighters from the card will appear on upcoming PPV events. The promotion returns to its standard arena schedule next month.

Reported via:

• ESPN MMA — UFC White House was preposterous, surreal and very American
• ESPN MMA — White: UFC at White House 'great,' never again