Dana White announces UFC will break traditional protocol for White House card

PRESIDENTIAL PUNCH-UPS Dana White announces UFC will break traditional protocol during $60million Freedom 250 card at the White House THE UFC will break their traditional pre-fight protocol during their historic White House card. The mixed martial arts leader will host the much-anticipated UFC Freedom 250 at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on June 14. The UFC brass are spending a whopping $60MILLION to put on the Presidential punch-ups, which will take place on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. The card will be an early homage to America’s 250th anniversary of Independence on July 4. And given the magnitude of the event, UFC bigwigs have decided to make a major protocol change. Dana White and Co. have made the decision to have the national anthem played at the event. Unlike at major boxing shows, The Star-Spangled Banner hasn’t been played ahead of UFC main events or at any time during cards for several years. But that will change at Freedom 250, with White revealing to Entertainment Tonight: “Zac Brown is going to be playing that night. “And for the first time in a long time, he will be doing the national anthem.” White is a big fan of the anthem, he just doesn’t like how it holds up proceedings after fighters enter the ring. The 56-year-old continued: “We don’t do the national anthem. “So one of the things that drives me crazy about boxing is they have to sing two national anthems and all the stuff before the fight starts. “We’re an international business, we have people from everywhere. “We could end up singing two national anthems that are not even from this country and the whole world is watching us, we’re in over a billion homes worldwide, so I don’t do it. “This will be the first time in a very long time since UFC double digits that we’ve done the national anthem.” UFC Freedom 250 will be headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between fan favourites Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.