President Donald Trump says the White House will host an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title fight next year as part of events that have been planned for the United States’ 250th Independence Day anniversary.

Mr Trump announced this while addressing crowds at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday, where he asked the attendees if they had watched UFC before.

Mr Trump stated, “We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.”

The American leader, a close friend of UFC CEO Dana White, noted that the event will be a “championship fight” with an audience of 20,000-25,000.

Following the announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans on X, writing: “It’s going to be EPIC!”.

The event will take place on July 4, 2026, the day the United States celebrates its Independence Day every year.

Mr Trump’s history with mixed martial arts dates back more than 20 years, when he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when Mr White was struggling to find a venue during the early days of the company in 2001.

He has also attended several UFC events, including UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, last month, where he was pictured watching a fight with Mr White.

“Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honour of America250,” Mr Trump added.