The UFC‘s White House event is all fight fans can talk about right now, and for good reason. Named UFC Freedom 250 to celebrate two-and-a-half centuries of the United States, Dana White revealed the event’s full fight card at UFC 326 last week, and by all accounts it is one of the most-stacked cards the promotion has ever put together.
At the top of the bill, Ilia Topuria returns to the Octagon and puts his lightweight title on the line against Justin Gaethje. There has been plenty of noise suggesting this was not the fight the UFC had originally envisioned for the headline slot, with a superfight between Topuria and Islam Makhachev rumoured to be the plan before the UFC had to make last-minute alterations when they found out one of the fights had been pulled.
But it’s hard to feel too short-changed when the alternative is watching one of the most ruthlessly talented champions in the sport right now go head-to-head with a man who has held the lightweight title twice and earned 10 UFC Fight of the Night bonuses.
Beneath that, Alex Pereira steps up to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane with a slice of history within reach. Win, and the Brazilian becomes the first fighter ever to hold titles across three different UFC weight classes, which would be a remarkable achievement by any measure, and quite fitting for history to be made at a place so rich itself.
Joe Rogan Voices Concern Over UFC White House
But not everyone is caught up in the excitement without reservation. Long-serving UFC commentator Joe Rogan was speaking to Konstantin Kisin on his podcast and raised a question that will quietly resonate with a lot of people, even if they have not quite put it into words yet.
Rogan pointed to the ongoing conflict in Iran and suggested that hosting an event of this nature at the White House, with the country in the middle of a war, is going to feel strange. “Weird” was the word he used. There is something inherently jarring about the idea of thousands of people packed onto the South Lawn for a night of celebration while American forces are engaged in active conflict overseas.
UFC Freedom 250 is three months away, and he expressed genuine doubt that the situation with Iran will be resolved by then. The conflict has shown little sign of a swift conclusion, and the idea of staging a high-profile, densely populated public event at the symbolic heart of the country’s government while that is still unfolding is, at the very least, a conversation worth having.
In full, Rogan said: “I’m excited. It sounds crazy. I know 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****** 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. So that’ll be weird — having this very high profile event where everyone’s in one place at one time right there.”
There is also the security dimension, which Rogan seemed to be gesturing at without spelling it out entirely. The White House is arguably the most recognisable building on the planet. Fill the grounds with thousands of people, add global television coverage, and you have created something that could, in certain minds, represent an attractive target. It’s an uncomfortable thought, but it is the kind of thought that the people responsible for the safety of the event will already be losing sleep over.
None of this means UFC Freedom 250 shouldn’t happen. The card is extraordinary; the occasion is genuinely historic, and the appetite for it is real. But Rogan’s comments serve as a reminder that the world does not stop turning just because a spectacular fight card has been announced, and that sometimes the biggest questions surrounding an event have nothing to do with what happens inside the Octagon.
The 2026 World Cup brought the United States into the limelight on the global sporting stage, but football (or soccer) is far from the main event when it comes to viewership.
As a nation, the revenue they generate across all sports makes up around 40 per cent of the global total, and the demand is certainly there.
Having a monopoly on American Football, baseball and basketball makes them among the favourites, but the rise in attention for football is the biggest upwards trend in recent years.
With that in mind, we’ve ranked the most popular sports in America from the latest data available, ranked in terms of popularity from a study by The Economist.
8
Golf (2%)
Ranking at the bottom of a study by The Economist (2%) asking fans for their favourite sport, it reflects the general interest in the sport across the world. Whilst the PGA Tour is regularly screened and spoken about, peaking around The Ryder Cup and other majors, the numbers show it has struggled to gain ground.
A report from Gallup shows it has been in a battle with tennis over the years at the lower end, and L.E.K. Consulting suggests one reason may be that it is not attracting younger viewers, with 30+ being the target audience.
7
Boxing/MMA (3%)
Dana White‘s UFC has been at the forefront of combat sports for two decades, reaching peak popularity in the mid 2010s. A lack of superstar profiles has seen it dip in recent years, but there remains huge interest both in the US and globally, and the recent White House card brought significant traction.
For Boxing, the decline has been steady. Years gone by saw global sensations such as Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr draw incredible interest.
Nowadays, there are no American heavyweight contenders, and whilst there are incredible fighters such as Shakur Stevenson, Jaron Ennis and, until recently, Terence Crawford, none can match that star power.
Some of the greatest fighters in combat sports history have graced the UFC Octagon…
6
Tennis (3%)
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Whilst the US Open is a significant competition, Tennis in America has struggled to capture significant attention. Ben Shelton may be the fan favourite, but gone are the likes of the Williams sisters, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and even Andy Roddick. It sits slightly above Boxing, MMA and Golf but is unlikely to break Ice Hockey or Football anytime soon.
5
Ice Hockey (4%)
The National Hockey League sits outside the elite sports in America and has seemingly maintained a consistent fanbase, according to Gallup. Its share from 2004 to 2023 held firm at around four percent across that period.
However, there are contrasting figures from different studies. The headline is that casual interest is up, but avid fans are down. The Seton Hall Sports Poll showed the largest growth in popularity from 2022 to 2026, up six points, but L.E.K. reported fewer avid fans in general, falling eight percent.
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4
Baseball (9%)
Traditionally a fan favorite, it has seemingly been overtaken, slightly, by football’s rise. Major League Baseball has historically contended for the second most adored sport with basketball, with Gallup showing that in eight readings between 2004 and 2023, it had the edge at four and tied with another.
L.E.K. revealed that MLB is more popular with fans over 30 than the younger 18–29 demographic. Given the slower nature of the game, it favors older fans, who also like Golf and College Football, with younger audiences less likely to view full games.
Figures from The Economist show football captured 10% of fans’ favourite sport in the study, edging out baseball into third place. Increased TV coverage, the arrival of star names and more infrastructure have all contributed. The rise has skyrocketed thanks to Lionel Messi‘s arrival in the MLS, with Inter Miami a home for former European stars.
With the World Cup enhancing that further, and Mauricio Pochettino‘s current impact, expect it to grow.
Now that Lionel Messi has joined Inter Miami, GIVEMESPORT ranks the 20 greatest players in MLS history
2
Basketball (17%)
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The National Basketball Association has always been amongst the most popular due to the global superstars that consistently bring eyes to the sport. It scores incredibly well with younger fans, and the Knicks‘ recent title — their first in 53 years — brought about interest globally that became a cultural phenomenon.
One area growing the quickest is the WNBA, with L.E.K. showing a 65% year-over-year increase in avid fandom. It remains the fastest growing sport according to their figures.
Any data found on US sports points to one conclusion: American Football is untouchable. The National Football League sits alone at the top of the entire sports landscape. The Super Bowl annually ranks as the biggest sporting event on the US calendar, and draws high viewing figures for the entirety of the games, according to L.E.K.
Only one area has stood out: its avid fan level is lower in the 18-29 range, with younger fans opting for NBA and UFC — but, overall, it reigns supreme.
Fans Favourite Sports in the United States (The Economist 2024 Study)
UFC 329 is right around the corner, and it is set to be a classic. Paddy Pimblett‘s face-off with Benoit Saint-Denis catches the eye, but the event that will steal the headlines is undoubtedly Conor McGregor‘s return to the Octagon as he comes up against Max Holloway at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada on the 11th of July.
McGregor will be ending a five-year hiatus, having not fought since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The Irishman and Holloway have history as well, having fought back in 2013 when the former won via decision. That meeting, however, was at featherweight, whereas, Saturday’s fight will be at welterweight.
It is a fight between the man with the second-most featherweight UFC title wins in Holloway (five) versus the man with the joint-third-most in McGregor (two). With the Irishman being 37 and out of the sport for the past five years, though, Holloway is heavily tipped to win the bout.
However, there are some within the game who give McGregor a good chance.
Jose Aldo Previews Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway
Jose Aldo celebrates UFC win
Jose Aldo has weighed in on the upcoming fight, and given he was knocked out in 13 seconds by ‘The Notorious’ back in 2015, there are few who know what McGregor is capable of quite like Aldo.
That experience might be why, unlike many, the Brazilian believes the Irishman has a decent chance at victory, despite the fact he has been out on the sidelines for five years while his opponent has faced, and beaten, some of the world’s best. Having said that, though, Aldo is still predicting Holloway to come away with the victory this weekend.
Speaking to Covers.com, Aldo said: “For me, it’s a very competitive fight. McGregor may be the betting underdog, but honestly, I think he has a better chance of beating Max today than he had of beating Khabib back then.
“The favourite is Max Holloway, not because he’s vastly superior, but because he’s still active. He’s fighting regularly, coming off strong performances, and staying in competition mode. Conor is an unknown quantity. We haven’t seen him fight in a very long time. We don’t know where his conditioning, timing, or confidence are at. That’s why I put Max one step ahead.”
However, ‘Scarface’ was quick to make clear that McGregor cannot be ruled out.
“That doesn’t mean Conor can’t go in there and knock [Max] out,” Aldo continued. “That can absolutely happen. And it wouldn’t be any disgrace for Max because Conor is still a world-class striker with experience, power, and the technical tools to win any fight.
“So I have Max slightly ahead, but I’m a long way from saying Conor has no chance. The biggest question right now is simply which version of McGregor is going to show up on fight night.”
Holloway and Aldo have a storied past too, with the American coming out victorious in their back-to-back fights in 2017, which effectively toppled the Brazilian’s era at the peak of the featherweight division.
On Holloway, Aldo said: “He’s an extremely intelligent fighter, with very refined boxing, great fight IQ, and an excellent ability to absorb shots. Today, he’s not exactly the same fighter he was years ago because he’s been through a lot of wars during his career. But he’s still an exceptional fighter.”
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Holloway’s and McGregor’s careers have diverged over the past five years. The former has remained a dedicated fighter who has taken down some of the best. The latter, conversely, has dealt with a major injury and spent a lot of time partying. But, as Aldo was keen to point out, McGregor and his legacy cannot be ruled out.
Legends aren’t invented, they’re forged, and Conor McGregor has forged out one of the most legendary careers in the sport. All eyes will be on him this Saturday.
The Roberto De Zerbi overhaul is well under way at Tottenham, with six new signings already arriving at the club.
Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali have all been welcomed into the fold in the white half of north London and the Lilywhites are showing no signs of letting up in their big-money business just yet.
But with lots of incoming traffic there is an expectation that a number of current players will have to depart too and only Yves Bissouma – at the end of his contract – and Alejo Veliz have left as yet.
But that is about to change with a young player now set to leave the club too.
Alfie Devine signed for Spurs as a 15-year-old back in 2020 but has only made two first-team appearances, scoring once in the win over non-league side Marine in the FA Cup in 2021.
Now he looks set to depart the club, six years on from signing, as he makes the move to Preston North End on a permanent deal.
