Key facts about the event's funding:
Total cost: Approximately $60 million
Who's paying? The UFC is covering the full production price tag
Official statement: A White House official stated: "UFC is funding and paying for this entire event. There are no taxpayer dollars being used outside of what would be applied towards employees' normal duties and responsibilities"
Dana White's confirmation: UFC CEO Dana White confirmed: "No, we're covering the entire cost."
Expected loss: The UFC expects to lose approximately $30 million on the event
Post-event restoration: UFC will pay $700,000 for South Lawn restoration
What about federal agency involvement?
More than seven federal agencies (including Interior, Homeland Security, and FAA) have allocated significant resources and manpower, but these are employees performing their normal duties—not additional taxpayer costs for the event.
While some critics (including Luke Thomas and Democrats) have suggested taxpayers might pay millions, the official position from both the White House and UFC is that the event is privately funded with zero taxpayer dollars.
[Perplexity and Time]
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