UFC Freedom 250, the UFC event that took place at the White House in June, was a spectacle — but one that lost a shocking amount of money.
The event, which cost an estimated $60 million to put on, ultimately lost $30 million, TKO Group Holdings CFO Andrew Schleimer told investors on Monday, August 3. (TKO is the parent company of UFC.)
UFC Freedom 250 was a celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday, held the day after President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14. Though tickets were not sold to the general public, an estimated 4,300 people attended, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
“Given the event’s profile, which as anticipated, resulted in an approximate $30 million loss, our margins at UFC as well as on a consolidated basis were meaningfully impacted,” Schleimer said on TKO’s Q2 2026 earnings call, according to Variety.
Schleimer added, “We incurred significantly higher-than-normal costs, which we partially offset with sold out global partnerships inventory. As a reminder, we did not sell tickets and therefore did not record any live events revenue.”
TKO’s chairman and CEO, Ari Emanuel, painted UFC Freedom 250 as a success story despite the financial loss.
“TKO’s unique ability to deliver one-on-one live events and experiences was front and center in the second quarter. Nothing illustrates this better than UFC Freedom 250 held in June,” he said on the call. “This event was a roaring success for our company, the UFC brand and the sport of mixed martial arts, exposure, earned media, audience expansion and a weekend-long fan experience.”
Even in the aftermath of what Emanuel called a “roaring success,” fans should not expect to see UFC return to the White House any time soon. UFC president and CEO Dana White admitted after the event that it was a matter of finances.
“I can’t afford it,” White, 57, said. “I’ll never do the Sphere again, and we’ll never do this again.”
UFC Freedom 250 had its detractors before it even began. UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan blasted the idea, criticizing the thought of “fighting outside at all.”
“I just don’t think you should compete in a world championship fight in a non-controlled environment. It should be inside an air-conditioned arena,” Rogan, 58, said. “You wouldn’t ask them to play a world championship basketball game outside in the sun. That would be crazy, right? You play in a f***ing air-conditioned arena and that’s how it should be.”
Rogan also noted the timing seemed inappropriate given the ongoing war in Iran.
“It sounds crazy, I know it’s going to be very high security, and high stress, and weird to have a fight at the White House in the middle of a f*** war,” he said. “I’m going to be there. Allegedly. If there’s not a bomb that goes off between now and then. Who f***ing knows? The world is crazy.”
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