{"id":329302,"date":"2026-05-05T00:22:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=329302"},"modified":"2026-05-05T00:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:52:25","slug":"ufc-freedom-250-will-likely-cost-us-taxpayers-thousands-and-thousands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/ufc-freedom-250-will-likely-cost-us-taxpayers-thousands-and-thousands\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Freedom 250 Will Likely Cost US Taxpayers Thousands and thousands"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One among the leading combat sports journalists, Luke Thomas, has said that UFC Freedom 250 will cost American tax-payers thousands and thousands of dollars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Freedom 250 is ready to be held on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, coinciding with President Trump’s birthday, and has been designated by Homeland Security as a SEAR 1 event. That puts the event at the identical federal security requirement because the Super Bowl, even though it has yet to be determined which agencies shall be answerable for said security.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking on the event, Thomas said that any talk of the event not coming at the price of tax-payers is illusive, simply given the extent of public security that shall be required.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I’m not saying TKO isn’t footing nearly all of the bill,” he said. “But the quantity of [local police] you are gonna need for traffic, for security, for crowd control. It’s gonna be significant.”<\/p>\n

He said that is without even taking into consideration the park police required for the Ellipse watch party, and the opposite types of lawn enforcement that shall be present.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“You are paying for all that time beyond regulation. That is gonna be within the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to do something like that. To say nothing of the apparatus that needs to be on the White House itself,” he continued, noting that is without even considering if there have been any issues to arise from the event itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“That is extremely expensive, even should you get it right… I’m a bit concerned, yeah I’m a bit concerned.”<\/p>\n

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The concept that events like this are fully privately funded doesn’t delay under scrutiny. Local police, park services, and federal resources are all involved, and people will not be free. By the point it’s all accounted for, the general public cost is substantial. pic.twitter.com\/32u01iWzFl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP) (@LTGetsPolitical) May 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Freedom 250 will feature two title fights, first the Interim Heavyweight clash between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira, after which the headline Undisputed Lightweight Championship fight between Lineal champion Ilia Topuria and Interim champion Justin Gaethje.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The event itself will stream via Paramount+ with tickets to the actual event on the South Lawn being privately distributed. The Ellipse will play host to a watch party for fans, with Trump himself making the claim that 100,000 can be attending.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n