Rousey Said the White House Card Sucks. Three Weeks Out She Might Be Right

When Dana White first announced the UFC was putting on a card at the White House, the expectation was clear. The biggest event in the history of the sport. Jones vs Aspinall for the heavyweight title. McGregor's comeback. A card so massive it would make the Sphere event look like a regional show. Trump said it would have "the greatest fighters ever" and Dana said the production costs make the $20 million Sphere event look like "ashtray money."

Three weeks from June 14 and none of that happened. Jones isn't on the card. McGregor isn't on the card. Aspinall is still recovering from double eye surgery. And the lineup that IS on the card has been getting roasted by fans, fighters, and media since the day it was announced bro.

Rousey said it best. "Dana knows the White House card sucks."

She might not be wrong.

The Card

Six fights. That's it. The "biggest event in UFC history" has six fights on it.

Main event: Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje. Lightweight title unification. This is actually a good fight. Topuria is the champion. Gaethje earned the interim belt. It makes sense and it should be competitive.

Co-main: Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane. Interim heavyweight title. Pereira chasing his third divisional title is a cool storyline but the interim belt exists because Aspinall had double eye surgery and can't fight yet. So the co-main is basically a placeholder title fight while the real champion heals.

Sean O'Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi. Michael Chandler vs Mauricio Ruffy. Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus. Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia. Josh Hokit vs Derrick Lewis.

Those are fine fights. Some of them are genuinely interesting. But "fine" and "interesting" are not the words you use to describe the greatest card in UFC history. Ariel Helwani looked at the lineup and called it underwhelming. MMA Guru said the UFC "can do better than this." Fans on social media have been saying the same thing since March.

The Missing Names

Here's what fans expected vs what they got.

They expected Jon Jones. The GOAT. The man who came out of retirement specifically because he wanted to fight at the White House. Dana told reporters Jones was "never, ever, ever" in his mind for the card. Jones requested his release from the UFC. Now he's actively trying to escape his contract to fight Ngannou on MVP instead.

They expected Conor McGregor. The biggest draw in UFC history who literally posted "count me in" when Trump first announced the event. McGregor isn't on the card. He's fighting Holloway at UFC 329 in July instead because the UFC announced his comeback during someone else's Netflix event.

They expected Tom Aspinall. The undisputed heavyweight champion defending his belt in the main event. Aspinall is at home doing eye drops because Gane's fingers went through both his eye sockets at UFC 321.

Three of the biggest names fans wanted. None of them on the card. And the UFC's response has basically been "this is what we've got, deal with it."

The American Independence Card With No Americans on Top

This is the part that's genuinely hard to explain.

The card is called Freedom 250. It's celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence. It's on the White House lawn. On Trump's 80th birthday. With an American flag themed belt.

The main event has a Spanish champion vs an American challenger. The co-main has a Brazilian champion vs a French challenger. Of the four fighters in the top two fights, ONE is American. Gaethje.

We wrote about this when Trump unveiled the belt in the Oval Office. One fan put it perfectly back then: "Crazy it's gonna be wrapped around a Brazilian and a Spaniard." The irony hasn't gotten any less obvious three weeks later.

Nobody is saying foreign fighters shouldn't be on the card. Topuria and Pereira are two of the best fighters on the planet regardless of nationality. But when you name the event "Freedom 250" and build the entire marketing around American patriotism, having your main event and co-main event headlined primarily by non-American champions is a weird look. Especially when American stars like Jones, McGregor, and Aspinall were all available or interested at various points during the booking process.

The Attendance Problem

Trump originally told reporters the event would draw "over 100,000 people." Then TKO CEO Ari Emanuel said in an earnings call that the South Lawn would hold 3,000 to 4,000 fans due to security restrictions.

From 100,000 to 4,000. That's not a slight adjustment. That's a 96% reduction.

The UFC added screens at The Ellipse across the street where 85,000 to 100,000 fans can watch on monitors. But watching a fight on a screen in a park is not the same as being in the arena. And the "Partner Investment" tickets for actual cageside access on the South Lawn? $1.5 million each.

So the "biggest event in UFC history" has 4,000 people watching live, most of them military and invited guests, with everyone else standing in a park watching TVs. For a card that fans are already calling underwhelming. With tickets that cost more than most people's houses.

The MVP Comparison Nobody Wants to Make

Here's the elephant in the room.

MVP just broke the all-time US MMA viewership record with 17 million peak viewers on Netflix. On their FIRST card. With retired fighters. On a platform with 325 million subscribers. And their CEO said on the Helwani Show that he doesn't believe the White House card on Netflix would have matched those numbers.

Freedom 250 is airing on CBS and Paramount+. CBS will bring mainstream eyeballs. But Paramount+ has 48 million subscribers compared to Netflix's 325 million. The live gate is capped at 4,000. And the card that's supposed to justify the "greatest event ever" billing has six fights with no McGregor, no Jones, and no Aspinall.

Meanwhile MVP is planning MMA 2 for later this year. They're targeting McGregor. They're "100% in the MMA business." And they just proved you can put on the most watched MMA event in US history without the UFC being involved at all.

Three Weeks Out

Look, I'm still going to watch the White House card. Topuria vs Gaethje is a genuine banger. Pereira chasing history at heavyweight is compelling. Chandler vs Ruffy should be fun. Hokit is going to do something insane whether it's in the cage or outside of it. The production is going to be unlike anything the sport has ever seen. Fights on the White House lawn with the president sitting cageside. That's wild regardless of the matchups.

But "the greatest event in UFC history"? With six fights? No Jones, no McGregor, no Aspinall? Three foreign champions on an American independence card? 4,000 people watching live? $1.5 million tickets?

The UFC spent two years building expectations for this event and the card they delivered doesn't match the billing. That's not Topuria's fault. That's not Pereira's fault. That's not any fighter's fault. It's a booking and timing problem that the UFC created by promising the moon and delivering a solid Fight Night with a fancy venue.

Three weeks from now we'll be watching fights on the White House lawn and it'll probably still be cool. But "cool" and "greatest ever" are not the same thing. And three weeks out, everybody knows it.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions

When is UFC Freedom 250?

June 14, 2026 on the White House South Lawn in Washington, D.C. The event coincides with President Trump's 80th birthday and is themed around the 250th anniversary of American independence. It airs on CBS and Paramount+.

What fights are on the White House card?

Main event: Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje (lightweight unification). Co-main: Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane (interim heavyweight). Plus Sean O'Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi, Michael Chandler vs Mauricio Ruffy, Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus, Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia, and Josh Hokit vs Derrick Lewis.

Why isn't Jon Jones on the card?

Dana White said Jones was "never, ever, ever" in his mind for the card. Jones came out of retirement specifically for the White House event and requested his UFC release when he was denied. He is now actively seeking to escape his UFC contract to fight Francis Ngannou outside the promotion.

Why isn't Conor McGregor on the card?

McGregor expressed public interest in the White House card but was not included. He is instead fighting Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 during International Fight Week. His comeback was announced during the MVP Netflix card.

Why isn't Tom Aspinall on the card?

Aspinall is recovering from double eye surgery after Ciryl Gane poked both his eyes at UFC 321. His timeline for return has not been confirmed. The interim heavyweight title fight between Pereira and Gane exists because Aspinall cannot compete.

How many people can attend?

The South Lawn holds approximately 3,000 to 4,000 fans due to security restrictions. Additional viewing is available at The Ellipse across the street with capacity for 85,000 to 100,000 people watching on large screens. "Partner Investment" cageside tickets cost $1.5 million.