Who’ll fight on the UFC event at the White House in June has been debated and predicted since President Donald Trump made the announcement that the White House South Lawn would host a UFC event for the American 250 celebration.
Several high-profile fighters lobbied to be part of the historic fight card, including household names Jon Jones and Conor McGregor. While they’re both legends and McGregor’s the biggest draw in the promotion’s history, former title challenger and industry inside Chael Sonnen doesn’t think it makes sense to feature either of them at the White House event.
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“Let me tell you why Jon Jones and Conor McGregor don’t make any sense to be on the White House card. I can do it pretty quickly because there’s just three reasons. Now, I’m coming at you from the perspective of the second floor of the UFC. Right? The business side of it,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel.
“First off, you have a fixed revenue. You’re not selling pay-per-views. Now, that could change. I’m operating with the information we have now. You got fixed (revenue). It’s on Paramount+. They’re not going to do pay-per-view. So, it’s a question of why bring in some of your most expensive guys? Secondly, and far more importantly is the location is the hook. The draw to this, much like when they played the Sphere the first time … The only time they have used a venue as the star was the Sphere. Now, we’ve go the White House. That’s the hook. That’s the reason to watch,” he continued.
UFC CEO Dana White predicts the White House event will draw more viewers than any previous event in the promotion’s history. Considering the wide range of reach, Sonnen believes matchmakers will use the opportunity to further build current fighters and not those wanting a one-off return fight.
“You’re going to have more eyeballs on this than we’ve ever had in the history of the UFC. So, if you’re on the second floor of the UFC, it’s not just to deliver to your fanbase. It’s to expose these new fans and to make them fans and do as close as you can to get them to hardcore as you can. And what you can’t do is to expose them to something that you can’t show them again,” Sonnen said.
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“How am I going to get you to Johnson City? How am I going to get you to Miami? How am I going to get you to Fort Dodge? I can do this big thing for you and put you at the White House and bring all these new eyeballs and really expose you and you’re a really rare talent, but I’m then going to leave the White House. I need you to come over here where the semi trucks are pulling the octagon and the tent’s getting set up and the beer’s getting poured and the popcorn is getting popped. Those are the guys that I’m going to expose this new audience,” continued Sonnen.
“And those guys are going to be on the radio on Monday. And those guys are going to make appearances next Saturday. And those guys are going to be around. Those guys are going to be what the new audience sees and says and goes, ‘Hey, that’s the guy. That’s the guy that I watched. That’s the guy that I’m interested in.’ Those guys aren’t going to know what a Royce Gracie is. They’re not going to know what a Ken Shamrock is. They’re not going to know what a Daniel Cormier or a Chael Sonnen is.”
“Dana is not going to bring people to the White House for them to retire. He’s just not.”
