Fans of UFC veteran Derrick Lewis have Donald Trump to thank for enabling the fighter’s upcoming bout in the much-awaited UFC Freedom 250. UFC President and CEO Dana White has revealed that it was the businessman-turned-politician who came up with the idea of adding a Lewis fight in the forthcoming White House mixed martial arts event, motivating him to make it a reality.
Donald Trump played a role in UFC fight
During his recent appearance at UFC 327, which took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Dana White announced that Derrick Lewis will be taking on Josh Hokit during the upcoming White House martial arts extravaganza. He further disclosed that it was the POTUS who proposed the blockbuster heavyweight clash.
Talking to reporters at the UFC 327 post-fight press conference, White noted, “What’s crazy is organically, about an hour before (Hokit’s victory), the president said to me, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card? I said, ‘I’ll be back in five minutes. I went and called Derrick Lewis and said, ‘The President wants to know why you’re not on the White House card.’ And Derrick Lewis said, ‘Politics. Politics kept me off the White House card,'” as per HITC Sport.
The Power Slap owner added, “I said: ‘Do you want to fight on the card?’ and he said: ‘I absolutely want to fight on the card.’ So I told Mick Maynard: ‘Find a fight for Derrick, let’s talk about it next week.’ Then the Hokit fight happens, and Joe Rogan goes: ‘Is there another slot open for the White House card for Hokit?’ I go: ‘Holy s**t.’”
White then approached Mick Maynard, the UFC’s matchmaker, to confer with Hokit regarding the match-up, who instantly agreed to participate.
Summing up his decision to add the said heavyweight fight to the UFC Freedom 250 roster upon Donald Trump’s inquiry, Dana White noted, “When the President looks at you and says, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the card?,’ You put Derrick Lewis on the card immediately.”
Notably, UFC’s Freedom 250 event will take place at the White House on June 14, 2026.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on Mandatory.
