UFC bringing back 'Fight for the Troops' events in 2027

The UFC has a long-standing relationship with the armed forces. The promotion's fighters frequently engage with troops through special events including training. Several athletes on the UFC roster, past and present, have severed. Approximately 4,000 service members attended last weekend's UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House and watched from the Ellipse.

The UFC has held three "Fight for the Troops" events in the past taking the octagon to military installations. In 2027, the fight promotion plans to bring them back.

"The president and I are talking about doing a Fight for the Troops next year," UFC CEO Dana White said during the UFC Freedom 250 Post-Fight Press Conference. "We did a lot of them in the past. We used to work with the Fisher family who were very dialed in with the military and could get things done easily.

"It's not easy to get things done on military bases and things like that, but when we had the Fisher family and then obviously the president can make things happen. So, we're talking about doing it next year. He (the president) wanted to do it this year and I said, 'Sir, I need a year to recover financially from the White House fight.' So, give me a year."

The last "Fight for the Troops" event took place in November 2013 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. While not officially labeled a "Fight for the Troops" event, the first UFC fight card to take place on a military base was in 2006 at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 3:42 AM.