The UFC will distribute the largest fight night bonuses in its history during a special event at the White House, CEO Dana White announced Friday.
White revealed that participants in the best fight of the night will each earn $400,000, while two fighters delivering the top individual performances will receive $425,000 apiece. The previous record for bonuses was $300,000, awarded at UFC 300 in April 2024.
The announcement came during a press conference held at the Lincoln Memorial, which experienced a two-hour delay due to lightning. Despite the weather interruption, White reaffirmed the event’s schedule for Sunday.
“The show goes on, no matter what,” White said. “I’m sick and tired of talking about the weather. We are fighting on Sunday night on the lawn of the White House, no matter what.”
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The event, titled UFC Freedom 250, will mark the organization’s first-ever card held on the South Lawn of the White House. White emphasized that nothing would prevent the fights from happening as planned.
Funding for the increased bonus pool came through contributions from World Liberty Financial and Crypto.com. The partnership allowed the organization to set a new payout record.
In previous years, the UFC routinely handed out fight night bonuses of $50,000. That figure doubled to $100,000 at the beginning of this year before reaching the newly announced record levels.
Among the featured fighters is Justin Gaethje, who will face Ilia Topuria in the Sunday main event. Gaethje holds a perfect career bonus rate, with 15 bonuses in 15 UFC fights.
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The event lineup also lists Alex Pereira, Sean O’Malley, Michael Chandler, and Kyle Daukaus as competitors. Each is scheduled to participate in bouts as part of the Freedom 250 card.
The main event matchup pairs Topuria, with a 17-0-0 record, against Gaethje, whose record stands at 27-5-0. Both have appeared prominently in promotional materials leading up to the White House card.
Also slated on the card are Pereira at 13-3-0, O’Malley at 19-3-0, Chandler at 23-10-0, and Daukaus at 17-4-0. Broadcast coverage is listed for Paramount+.
The Freedom 250 event continues the UFC’s focus on high-profile showcases, with White noting the symbolic nature of hosting a card at such a historic venue.
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