Joe Rogan recently shared his thoughts about the UFC’s plan to host a fight card at the White House. The well known commentator said the idea is exciting but also strange because of the current global situation.
The UFC is preparing a special event expected to take place on June 14 at the White House. The card is meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, and attendance will be limited to invited guests.
While discussing the plan on his podcast, Rogan said the situation feels unusual with tensions rising after military action between the United States and Iran.
“I’m [excited],” Rogan said while talking about the upcoming card. “It sounds crazy. 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*cking war. I would hope the war will be sorted out by June, but quite honestly, I’m not confident that’s going to be the case.”
Rogan also said bringing so many people together for a large public event in such a sensitive time could create concerns.
“That will be weird, having this very high-profile event where everybody is in one place at one time right there.”
💵Dana White CONFIRMS tickets for White House card will be absolutely FREE:
“We gonna be ticketing 85,000 people and tickets are free. We’ll announce how we’ll be given them away soon.”
via @ufc pic.twitter.com/KiV96wkNLu
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) March 13, 2026
Ticketing Clarification
Initially, reports said about 5,000 people would attend the event as invited guests inside the White House, reflecting security and space limits. However, UFC President Dana White recently confirmed that 85,000 tickets will be given away for free, though the exact method of distribution hasn’t been announced yet. White stated:
“We gonna be ticketing 85,000 people and tickets are free. We’ll announce how we’ll be given them away soon.”
This likely means that while only a few thousand can attend in person, many more fans will experience the event through larger viewing areas or official broadcasts.
Security Expected to Be Extremely Tight
Because of the location and current geopolitical tensions, the UFC plans tight security for the card.
Before U.S. military action in Iran began, the FBI reportedly warned California law enforcement that Iran might consider drone attacks on U.S. soil, which adds to concerns about safety.
Hearing about these risks made Rogan question whether hosting a major sporting event in such circumstances might be dangerous.
“It seems like you’re asking [for trouble],” Rogan said. “How can you not think of that?”
Joe Rogan is concerned about the UFC White House event
“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*cking war.” pic.twitter.com/TBzBzSRlEB
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 12, 2026
Rogan Also Criticizes Decision Behind Conflict
During the same discussion, Rogan also talked about the larger conflict involving the United States and Iran. He criticized the decision by Donald Trump to launch attacks that increased tensions.
Rogan had previously hosted Trump on his podcast and supported him during the 2020 election. However, he admitted he was disappointed by the move.
“It just seems so insane,” Rogan said while discussing the conflict. “He ran on no more wars. End these stupid, senseless wars. And then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it.”
Even with concerns about security and the global situation, the UFC still plans to move forward with the White House fight card. The promotion sees the event as a historic moment connected to the country’s anniversary celebration.
Rogan said the idea of hosting fights at such a famous location is unique, but he believes the timing could feel uncomfortable if the conflict is still active when the event takes place.
