While she once vowed to step away from politics, Ivanka Trump is reemerging in a new capacity, not as a White House official, but as a key player behind the scenes of an unprecedented UFC event set to take place on the South Lawn.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed what had long been rumored, a UFC fight is officially being planned at the White House for July 4, 2026, to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. And Ivanka, a jiu-jitsu practitioner herself, is involved.
"When (Trump) called me and asked me to do it, he said, ‘I want Ivanka in the middle of this,’" White said during a CBS Mornings appearance. “So Ivanka reached out to me, and her and I started talking about the possibilities, where it would be and, you know, I put together all the renderings."
From White House adviser to White House event planner:
Ivanka, who once served as a senior adviser in her father's first administration, said in 2022 that she would not be part of his third campaign. “Politics is – it’s a pretty dark world. There’s a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and it’s just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being,” she said on the Lex Fridman Podcast. “And, you know, it’s a really rough business. So for me and my family, it feels right to not participate.”
However, Ivanka hasn’t been entirely absent during Trump’s second term. She’s appeared at multiple UFC events, including UFC 316 in New Jersey this June, alongside her father and Dana White, who previewed her involvement in planning the 2026 event during his recent media rounds.
“She’s a longtime fan of UFC and is honored to help Dana White create an exciting event celebrating a sport beloved by so many Americans, as part of our country’s 250th celebration,” a source close to Ivanka told Fox News Digital.
While she holds no official title, Ivanka is reportedly working behind the scenes to help organize the event, which White has described as a “one-of-one.”
Ivanka's Jiu-Jitsu journey:
A student at the Valente Brothers academy in Miami, Ivanka holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Her interest began when her daughter Arabella started training. “It's almost like a moving meditation because the movements are so micro,” she said in an interview with a YouTube jiu-jitsu channel. “It's like three-dimensional chess.”
Her passion for the sport makes her a natural fit for the role, especially for an event that aims to combine sports, history, and pageantry on a grand scale. Trump, during a July speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, hinted at what’s to come. “We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.”
About the special anniversary:
The UFC fight will be just one of many events marking America250, a celebration of the nation’s anniversary. “Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events,” Trump said.
On the Full Send Podcast, White called it “the baddest card of all time,” and teased a possible return of MMA legends. “Everybody wants to fight on this card. Literally everybody,” he said. That includes recently retired Jon Jones, who has reportedly reentered the USADA testing pool. “This is a one-of-one event,” White told the Associated Press.