WASHINGTON — On the eve of UFC Freedom 250, UFC was able to avoid weather problems and began to realize the vision of its audacious and controversial White House event.
The mixed-martial arts promotion staged another preliminary event Saturday, opening a two-day fan fest at the Ellipse in front of the White House that included ceremonial weigh-ins for the seven-bout fight card Sunday night and a concert by the Zac Brown Band.
There, before a massive crowd, under clear skies, and hosted by UFC announcer and podcaster Joe Rogan, UFC held the first of its two major nights of fan-facing events.
“America was a country built on bold ideas,” said UFC president Dana White. “[Sunday], on one night only, we’re going to pull off the boldest idea in the history of sports.”
Weigh-In Drama
Following a bizarre and rain-delayed press conference Friday night in front of the Lincoln Memorial, heavyweight and former NFL practice squad player Josh Hokit again disrupted some of the UFC proceedings with his absurdist persona and antics.
After derailing much of the press conference, Hokit continued his Andy Kaufman-style performance art vibe. At the official weigh-ins Saturday morning, Hokit acted as if he was drunk, staggering on stage and spitting up on himself.
“So what? Maybe I was drinking last night,” Hokit said on the scale.
“Who wouldn’t be? I have a giant Black man that wants to knock me out,” Hokit continued about Derrick Lewis, “and he has the most knockouts in UFC history.”
The evening functions, relying significantly on pre-taped video accompaniment and background music, were able to drown out Hokit.
Lewis will go into tomorrow’s bout with Hokit with a 34-pound advantage.
Bringing in the Fans
The fan fest, meanwhile, featured a large and lively crowd and a festival-like setting with a variety of MMA-themed attractions spread across the Ellipse. An attendance count was not immediately released Saturday night, but the event easily drew well into the tens of thousands.
That crowd, however, thinned noticeably after the ceremonial weigh-ins ended and before the Zac Brown Band concert began.
Though not yet fight night, UFC also illuminated “The Claw,” the 92-foot apparatus overseeing the octagon on the adjacent White House South Lawn. That structure and the potential distraction from its lights have drawn complaints from commercial pilots making night approaches into nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Zuffa Plans
White and UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings are already looking ahead with another of their combat sports projects before Sunday’s fight even happens.
Zuffa Boxing, the upstart promotion unveiled early last year, received plenty of promotion during the fan fest—both on the main stage and throughout the various fan attractions. UFC also used the setting to announce a signing of Washington, D.C.-based boxing prospect Nasheed Smith.
Like UFC itself, Zuffa Boxing is aided in part by a large-scale media rights deal with CBS Sports parent company Paramount, now in the midst of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery.
Zuffa Boxing, however, was hit earlier this week with a cease and desist letter from rival promoter Golden Boy, alleging that Zuffa Boxing and parent company TKO Group Holdings interfered with star fighter Ryan Garcia. A former WBC champion, Garcia is aligned with Golden Boy.
“It has come to our attention that you are planning to announce a professional boxing match between Garcia and Conor Benn to be held on Sept. 12, 2026, to be promoted by Zuffa, and to be broadcast on Paramount+,” the letter reads in part “That is a direct violation of Golden Boy’s and DAZN’s rights. Golden Boy has not approved of or agreed to the terms of any such bout.”
