UFC fighters visiting the White House are going to get a special bonus like never before!
Exciting news for the fighters taking part in the historic UFC event at the White House—they’ll be earning special bonuses like never before!
On June 14, UFC will host the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The event will happen on the South Lawn, with a small crowd and military members receiving free tickets. It also falls on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, making the night even more special.
The card is packed with big fights, including Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje, and Alex Pereira going for his third world title at heavyweight against Ciryl Gane. There will be 14 fighters in seven bouts altogether.
At UFC 327 on Saturday night, an exciting announcement was made. Commentator Jon Anik shared that an extra $1 million in bonuses would be available after the show! UFC president Dana White will still give out the usual Fight of the Night and Performance bonuses, but some fighters will also get a share of this huge bonus pool sponsored by Crypto.com, celebrating their 10-year anniversary. The money will be paid in CRO cryptocurrency, worth about 14.4 million, with details soon to come on how fighters can earn their share—making this the biggest bonus in UFC history!
Thanks to a big $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, UFC’s performance bonuses were already doubled to $100,000.
Originally, the White House event was planned with six fights, but President Trump asked why Derrick Lewis wasn’t on the card while attending UFC 327 in Miami. Derrick is Trump’s favorite fighter, so Dana White quickly made it happen. He called Derrick during the event and asked if he wanted to fight at the White House. Derrick said yes! Then, after Josh Hokit’s win over Curtis Blaydes, they arranged the match between Hokit and Derrick Lewis for the White House card.
Dana White explained on a livestream, “About an hour ago, the president asked me why Derrick Lewis wasn’t on the card. So I called Derrick, and he said he wanted to fight. After Hokit’s win, we confirmed the fight. Now Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis is part of the White House event!”
It’s shaping up to be a truly memorable night for everyone involved!