WWE star The Rock among list of celebrities to turn down Dana White's invitation for UFC White House aka Freedom 250 - Report
(Courtesy : Getty)
The historic card is set for this weekend.
UFC White House, aka Freedom 250, has become one of the most talked-about MMA events in history. The first professional sporting event ever held at the White House will take place on June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
The event will have a limited audience, largely guests invited by UFC and the WHite House. In an interview with Sean Gregory of Time Magazine last month, UFC President Dana White revealed that he had invited some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports to attend the event, including Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Mario Lopez.
However, a new report from Vanity Fair’s Aidan McLaughlin revealed that some of these names do not plan to attend the historic event this weekend.
UFC White House will be headlined by Illia Topuria & Justin Gaethje
According to the report by McLaughlin, The Rock, along with Adam Sandler, Jared Leto, and Mario Lopez, do not plan on attending the White House event.
The report further noted that representatives for the remaining invitees did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Meanwhile, neither the White House nor the UFC provided a response regarding inquiries about the guest list.
A source close to The Rock tells Vanity Fair that he will not be attending. Representatives for Sandler, Leto, and Lopez say they won’t be either.
WWE legend turned Hollywood icon The Rock, who sits on TKO’s Board of Directors for TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded parent company of WWE and UFC, was earlier anticipated to attend. His last appearance in UFC came during UFC 244 on November 2, 2019, at MSG in New York.
The UFC White House, aka the Freedom 250 event, marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence and also coincides, albeit intentionally, with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Illia Topuria will take on the Interim Champion Justin Gaethje in a unification bout in the main event, while Ciryl Gane and former Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira will battle for the Interim Heavyweight title.
The rest of the undercard features big names like Michael Chandler, Sean O’Malley, Bo Nickal, and Diego Lopes, among others.
When and where will UFC White House take place?
The historic card is scheduled to take place on June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
What is the announced UFC White House fight card?
Ilia Topuria (c) vs Justin Gaethje – UFC Lightweight ChampionshipCiryl Gane vs Alex Pereira – Interim UFC Heavyweight ChampionshipSean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi – Bantamweight boutMaurício Ruffy vs Michael Chandler – Lightweight boutBo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus – Middleweight boutDiego Lopes vs Steve Garcia – Featherweight boutDerrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit – Heavyweight Bout
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.