The beer brand that lost $1.4 billion after a MAGA boycott will have its name ring the Octagon on the White House South Lawn this Sunday. Bud Light, which sparked a conservative firestorm in 2023 after a brief partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, is among the sponsors for the UFC fight marking Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio predicted the event would draw a billion-strong global audience, declaring it has “broader appeal than Shakespeare.” The fight, helmed by Trump ally Dana White, is the latest instance of the president blending business, politics and sports.
“Bud Light, once boycotted by MAGA, sponsors Trump's White House UFC fight on his 80th birthday.”
Other sponsors with ties to Trump include Polymarket, a prediction market whose advisor and investor is the president’s son, and Paramount Plus, controlled by the Trump-allied Ellison family — currently seeking federal approval for a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.
The UFC plans to spend $60 million on the event, according to court filings, and White said the organization will pay an additional $700,000 to restore the White House lawn after the bout. A Republican lobbyist told NBC News: “The Trump fundraising team is raising money for it … It’s basically been added to the list of approved entities to give undisclosed money to and get credit with Trump.” The lobbyist added: “They are raising a s*** ton of money and have used it as another unofficial vehicle for corporate donors to give and gain favor with Trump.”
An ongoing federal lawsuit from the Public Integrity Project alleges the event is “deeply corrupt,” arguing it gives the UFC “unfettered access” to a taxpayer-funded landmark. The suit claims the White House misled the public by framing the event as coordinated with Freedom 250, the public-private partnership organizing American semiquincentennial events, when in fact the UFC was organizing it. The Justice Department argues it is too late to stop the fight.