00:00The UFC Mixed Martial Arts League has had quite a week, less than 24 hours after announcing a $1.1
00:07billion media rights deal with Paramount. UFC boss Dana White says a cage match on the White
00:13House lawn is going to happen July 4th of 2026. White will visit with President Donald Trump at
00:22the White House at the end of August to discuss details of the plan, which will involve the
00:26president's daughter, Ivanka. When he called me and asked me to do it, he said, I want Ivanka in the
00:35middle of this. So Ivanka reached out to me and her and I started talking about the possibilities,
00:41where it would be. And, you know, I put together all the renderings. I'm flying out there at the
00:47end of the month and going to sit down with those two and start figuring it out. The event will be
00:52the first professional sporting event hosted at the White House, though there have been many
00:56recreational events and championship celebrations. Trump, a longtime friend of White, said in July
01:02that he wanted to stage a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards of 25,000 spectators
01:08to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday. The confirmation of the fight card at the White
01:14House comes less than 24 hours after the MMA company announced a seven-year streaming deal
01:19with Paramount Plus worth $1.1 billion a year. The White House event will be one of at least four
01:26major events simulcast on CBS in 2026. White explained the move away from pay-per-view in an
01:34interview with CBS Sports. Live sports is so important because you have to tune in and watch
01:39it when it happens. And if you look at the moves they're making right now and the content that they
01:45have. They just locked up South Park. They have Yellowstone, Mobland, which is a big hit, Tulsa
01:51King, and the list goes on and on. So not only if you're a UFC fan, you get away from the pay-per-view
01:55model. Now you just pay, you know, $12 or $13 a month, whatever it is, and you get all this other
02:00programming. President Trump has recently been cage-side for several UFC fights, including an
02:05appearance immediately after the 2024 election and another last month alongside White for two championship
02:12fights in New Jersey. White said it's too early to say which fighters will compete at the White
02:17House, but he said everyone wants to be on this card. After the president suggested the fight in
02:22July, UFC legend Conor McGregor said he would be honored to come out of his four-year retirement
02:28to participate. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis.
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