A UFC fighter has taken a swing at Donald Trump over plans to stage a cage-fighting card on the White House lawn, accusing the government of “desecrating” its own role.
Bryce Mitchell, 31, was openly critical of UFC Freedom 250, the showcase event Trump has arranged for the South Lawn, which will take place on June 14—Trump’s 80th birthday and Flag Day.
“What I think personally is that our government is desecrating its role in society by entertaining sports,” he said in footage posted by MMA Junkie. “Our government is to protect and serve the people and really should be as minimal as possible.”
The fighter argued that hosting fight nights pulled the government away from its purpose. “It’s really outside of what the goal of the government was intended to be because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation,” he said, before landing his closing blow: “The government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us.”
The Arkansas grappler, who is ranked 16th at featherweight and fights under the moniker “Thug Nasty,” made his remarks at a UFC media day in Las Vegas ahead of his Saturday bout against undefeated Santiago Luna.
He had earlier caveated his comments by making it clear he held no grudge against the promotion itself. “First off, I ain’t jealous of any of those fighters,” he said, insisting the card was “literally the perfect scenario” for the UFC. His objection, he went on to say, was with the Trump administration.
It is not the first time Mitchell has unloaded on the president. In April, he branded the White House card “an egregious use of political favor to make people worship Donald Trump,” accusing the UFC of bending the sport “to Trump’s campaign while he destroys this nation.” He also branded Trump “an antichrist of Revelation.”
Mitchell’s about-turn is dramatic. He told reporters in December 2024 he would “take a bullet and die” for Trump, before flipping a year later and posting a video telling his 600,000 followers the president was a “corrupted leader” who had “tricked” him on the Epstein files.
Mitchell, though, is far from a sympathetic critic. The fighter was condemned by UFC boss Dana White in January 2025 after he denied the Holocaust and called Adolf Hitler “a good guy.” White said he was “beyond disgusted” but declined to punish him, citing free speech.
But his complaint stings even more because it comes from a fighter one might expect to be cheering the spectacle, which has been dogged by criticism from across the MMA world. Among its critics is Joe Rogan, the sport’s most popular commentator-turned-podcaster, who branded it a “gimmick,” as the Daily Beast reported last month.
Even White has conceded the bash may not help his old friend. Asked whether Trump, 79, “needs” the event given his cratering approval, White, 56, admitted to Rolling Stone, “Probably not.” He added, “I bet he probably wishes that this wasn’t happening, but it’s happening.”
The fight night is projected to cost more than $60 million, with UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings expected to swallow a net loss of around $30 million.
Trump, though, has grown so fond of the towering octagon structure that he’s floated the idea of keeping it forever. Comparing it to the Eiffel Tower, the president said Tuesday, “I’m looking at it, and maybe we’ll never ever take it down.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the UFC for comment.
