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UFC Star Bashes White House Fight Night Plans

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The White House
Photo Credit: "White House" by Diego Cambiaso is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Fighter Brandon Royval likened the high profile UFC series that will be held at the White House next June to “The Hunger Games.”

The UFC star’s remarks drew attention to an unprecedented sporting event that is currently being organized as part of President Trump’s upcoming birthday celebration.

Royval, speaking on the “In the Arena MMA” podcast, compared the card to the Jennifer Lawrence led dystopian movie series when asked about competing at the planned White House event.

“I don’t give a s**t about fighting at the f***ing White House,” he said, using a string of expletives as he dismissed the idea outright.

He went on to explicitly state that he doesn’t care “about any of our political figures right now,” arguing that performing in front of politicians felt like the “Hunger Games.”

In the movie series, children from poor districts in a future fictional America a selected by lottery to fight to the death for the amusement of the wealthy.

Royval directed his frustration at rich spectators he believes would not be invested in him as an athlete.

“I don’t give a f*** to fight in front of some f***ing billionaires and rich people that could give a s*** less about me. Probably throwing parlays. F*** you guys,” he added.

The brawler, who competes under the nickname “Raw Dawg,” said he preferred to fight in front of supporters who understand his background.

He noted he would rather perform for audiences “who can relate to me,” instead of the crowd expected to attend the White House event.

The fighter suggested that stepping into a high security environment might put him in an awkward position.

“I just don’t want to fight at the White House if I’m being honest. Also, I’m too Mexican-looking,” Royval remarked.

“ICE is suspiciously arresting motherf***ers, and I don’t know. Who knows, bro? Next thing you know, I’m in Mexico and I don’t speak Spanish,” he added.

The upcoming event, which will take place on the White House South Lawn and extend across the National Mall, is set to feature fireworks, large scale light shows and other festivities tied to President Trump’s birthday celebration.

According to organizers, the spectacle will be unlike anything the UFC has staged before.

Dana White, the UFC’s CEO and a longtime friend of President Trump, is leading the effort to put the card together.

Expectations have been building, especially with the possibility of legendary fighter Conor McGregor appearing on the lineup.

In October, White said, “We have not started negotiating any fights for the White House yet,” though he suggested matchups would begin taking shape starting in February.

A spokesperson for the president, Steven Cheung, said the June showcase is intended to mark a major milestone.

“This will be one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary,” Cheung noted.

The idea of staging fights at the White House has already faced pushback from several well known fighters, including former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

During a September appearance on “The Lapsed Fan Podcast,” Rousey said, “I am not fighting at the White House.”

She did entertain the idea of coming out of retirement, referencing the high profile Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul matchup, pointing out that “you never say never” about a comeback, but made clear, “I ain’t fighting on the f***ing White House.”

Pressed on why she would decline even if asked by White or UFC leadership, Rousey offered a simple explanation. “I got better s*** to do,” she said, adding, “My kid needs pasta.”

Rousey, who made her UFC debut in 2013 and held the bantamweight belt through a dominant early run, saw her career dramatically shift after losing her title to Holly Holm in 2015. Her final UFC fight came in 2016, ending in a quick defeat to Amanda Nunes.

In recent interviews, Rousey has revisited long standing tensions with UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

She suggested she felt disrespected by Rogan during the later years of her career.

On the “Bertcast Podcast,” she criticized him while fielding questions from comedian Bert Kreischer.

When Kreischer joked about fighting her, she responded that Rogan would not be useful for guidance.

“He wouldn’t know,” she said. “He’s not an expert, he’s a fan with an audience. … [He] never fought!”

Kreischer pushed back by citing Rogan’s martial arts background, including achievements in Taekwondo and a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Rousey rejected those qualifications as meaningful in the context of UFC level fighting, saying his Taekwondo experience “didn’t count” by her standards.

Rousey has previously accused Rogan of turning on her when she began to struggle.

“It was really disappointing to see how happily everybody turned on me and how people like Joe Rogan, who were crying in the ring about the honor of being able to call my fights, people I considered friends in the media, so quickly turned on me,” she told Chris Cuomo.

Rogan addressed her criticism on his own program, saying he was not bothered by her comments.

“The Ronda Rousey one didn’t really bother me,” he remarked. “When she said I wasn’t an expert, everyone’s entitled to their opinion.”

He noted that her mindset as a competitor shaped her viewpoint, quoting her perspective as “You never fought, you ain’t sh*t.”

“You’ve gotta understand why she thinks like that, because she has a champion mentality,” he added.

He reiterated that he understands how fighters can react when commentary spotlights their struggles.

Rogan pointed out that he had urged Rousey to take time off following her loss to Holm and said he criticized the UFC’s marketing strategy when she returned to face Nunes.

He argued the promotion overstated Rousey’s chances rather than highlighting Nunes’ strength as the reigning champion.

Rogan also said he believes Rousey’s competitive drive explains why she would be sensitive to analysis of her final performances.

“When you watch a fight and you’re watching you get your a** kicked and the (commentator) is talking about how great the other person is doing and how bad you’re doing, that doesn’t sit well with a lot of people,” Rogan explained.

“Especially someone who’s got that type of champion mentality, that type of f***ing pitbull mentality.”

Despite their disagreements, Rogan repeated that he has deep respect for her contributions to the sport.

“She’s a legend. I’ve got nothing but love and respect for that lady,” he said.

He noted her role in bringing women into the UFC, saying the organization’s leadership once resisted the idea of female fighters until she demonstrated her star power.

“She was the first legitimate female superstar. She made the UFC female division possible. If it wasn’t for her, Dana was very open about never having female UFC fighters. It took someone that was that dynamic, that special, to open his eyes and go, ‘You know what, I think this lady’s a star.’”

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