Dana White Jokes About White House Card
Dana White went viral during a recent press conference, laughing off the idea of Terence Crawford ($55M earner) boxing UFC's Joaquin Buckley, joking "Crawford vs. UFC Buckley? Street fight?" White also made jokes about a White House UFC card hinging on Conor McGregor or Jon Jones arrests. UFC veteran Matt Brown expressed skepticism about the promised "biggest card ever" at the White House, stating "They don't have the stars that they used to have."
- The proposed UFC event is scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026, which coincides with Flag Day and the 80th birthday of Donald Trump. It is being planned to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. - While a UFC event would be a first, combat sports have a history at the White House; President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid boxer who regularly sparred in the White House until a punch from a young army captain left him with a detached retina in his left eye. - The verbal sparring between Joaquin Buckley and Terence Crawford began after Crawford and fellow boxer Shakur Stevenson claimed on a livestream that boxing was superior to MMA. This prompted Buckley to respond on social media, challenging them to a street fight, which Crawford then mocked. - Terence Crawford's career earnings are estimated to be over $60 million, with his largest single payday being a reported $25 million for his 2023 fight against Errol Spence Jr. - Joaquin "New Mansa" Buckley is currently the #9 ranked contender in the UFC's welterweight division and holds a professional record of 21 wins and 7 losses. - Elaborating on his skepticism, Matt Brown pointed to a lack of American top-tier stars on the current roster, which he sees as a problem for an event with heavy patriotic symbolism at the White House. - TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel has stated the White House card will be a unique spectacle with a smaller fight card than a typical UFC event, featuring approximately six to seven bouts. Attendance on the South Lawn is expected to be limited to 3,000-4,000 people, with a larger public viewing area of up to 85,000 planned for The Ellipse park across the street.
