Joe Rogan calls out Trump’s ‘nuts’ birthday UFC upercard idea

December 12, 2025 Oliver Obel

A proposal to stage a UFC card on the South Lawn of the White House in 2026 timed to mark both President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary has quickly morphed from a headline-grabbing idea into one of the stranger debates in combat sports.

What began as a passing suggestion has ballooned into mock-up arena designs, online fantasy bookings, and a steady stream of opinions from fighters and fans who can’t seem to resist weighing in.

Big promises, bigger hurdles

Eric Trump helped fuel the buzz when he floated potential matchups during a podcast appearance, according to Business Insider. Shortly afterward, the President raised the stakes by estimating that the event could feature eight or nine championship fights a claim that raised eyebrows among UFC insiders familiar with the sport’s logistical limits.

For perspective, the UFC has never scheduled more than three title fights on a single card. Athletic commissions typically restrict how many five-round bouts can be sanctioned in one night, and medical teams warn against stacking too many high-stakes contests back-to-back. None of this has stopped the speculation, but it does put Trump’s expectation into context.

UFC officials have yet to comment, though people familiar with event operations say privately that hosting a sanctioned card on federal property would involve layers of approval that no MMA promotion has ever navigated.

Rogan: “That’s kind of a crazy thing”

Joe Rogan, who has never been shy about correcting misconceptions around the sport, addressed the President’s claim directly on The Joe Rogan Experience. His immediate pushback was blunt.

“First of all, there’s only eight weight classes,” he said, questioning the math behind a nine-title lineup. “How’s there going to be nine title fights? That’s kind of a crazy thing.”

Rogan’s comments struck a chord because they echoed what matchmakers and regulators have noted for years: the UFC’s weight classes create a natural ceiling on championship volume, no matter how high-profile the event.

Fighters keep the buzz alive

While the logistics remain fuzzy, fighters have been happy to keep the fantasy alive. Bo Nickal suggested in comments reported by Business Insider that his participation was essentially locked in. Dana White, speaking elsewhere, mentioned that heavyweight Derrick Lewis ranks among Trump’s personal favorites, fueling the idea that Lewis could wind up on the card if it materializes.

Conor McGregor has taken his usual approach: hint aggressively. He has told fans he’d welcome the chance to fight at the White House, whether against Michael Chandler or anyone who moves him closer to what he calls “The Triple Crown,” a rare pursuit of titles in three divisions.

Jon Jones’ name continues to surface as well. Despite competing only twice in the last six years, Jones’ dominant heavyweight wins revived long-standing debates about who he should face next debates that often include Tom Aspinall, even if the matchup remains stalled.

“A travesty” if Jones isn’t included, Rogan says

Rogan argued that any White House card worthy of the hype should feature Jones. Speaking to his listeners, he said it “would be a travesty” if the UFC left the former champion off such a historic lineup.

He also pushed back on White’s previous concerns about Jones’ reliability. “Dana’s like, ‘You can’t count on him.’ You can f****** count on him. Come on, stop,” Rogan said.

Still, even with fighters like Jones and McGregor in the mix, Rogan noted that fulfilling Trump’s nine-title vision would require “every weight class fighting for the title, which would be nuts.”

A spectacle still stuck on the drawing board

For now, the event exists mostly in imagination. Regulatory approvals, security planning, and commission oversight would all have to align perfectly a tall order even for a routine pay-per-view, let alone one staged on highly protected federal land.

Yet the idea persists, perhaps because it sits at the intersection of sports, politics, and spectacle three arenas where debate alone can keep a story alive long after the practicalities say otherwise.

Sources: Business Insider, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast