UFC to Provide 85,000 Free Tickets to Fans for White House Freedom Fights 250 Card

Fans hoping to attend the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House won't have to dip into their wallets to get a ticket.

UFC president Dana White announced that 85,000 tickets for the card will be given away for free, though he did not yet provide details on how fans will be able to obtain tickets.

Mark Shapiro, president of UFC ownership group TKO, previously said that tickets won't be sold for the show:

"We're getting requests, I'm not even talking about people who want to buy tickets because that won't be available. There will be no ticket sales. It will hurt us financially but what this will do for brand, reach, engagement, notoriety, press, earned media, advertiser interest, this is an absolute monster. We're excited about it. Dana White and Hunter Campbell are hard at work at putting together a sensational fight card."

One potential explanation for giving away 85,000 tickets is fans won't actually be set up on the White House lawn where the octagon will be set up.

In explaining the setup and logistics for the show to CBS News in January (h/t Damon Martin of MMA Fighting), White said they can only fit 5,000 people in that area but "across the street is the park, it's called the Ellipse, I think, and we can have 85,000 people there."

According to TMZ Sports, White noted UFC will have giant screens set up in the park area where fans will be able to watch the action.

UFC announced the full card for the show during the UFC 326 event on March 7. The main event will feature a lightweight title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

Alex Pereira, the current light heavyweight champion, is moving up in weight to take on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event.

UFC Freedom 250 will be held on June 14.