Editor’s Note: This story was first published by Matt Alley by BlueCollarWriter Labor Media. See here.
“My problem isn’t with the fighters. It isn’t even with the UFC itself. The issue is that government should not be serving as a marketing department for a private corporation. The White House belongs to the American people. It is not an arena. It is not a convention center. It is not a backdrop for a corporate promotional event . . . While the UFC brand is what fans see, the company itself is part of TKO Group Holdings, a multibillion-dollar publicly traded entertainment corporation. This isn’t some local charity fundraiser or community celebration being held on public grounds. This is one of the largest sports and entertainment companies in the world being granted access to one of the most recognizable symbols of American government….”
This story was first published by Matt Alley by BlueCollarWriter Labor Media. See here.
If you’ve been following me long enough, you already know I’m a mixed martial arts fan.
Not casually. Not in the way someone watches a big fight once or twice a year. Over the years I’ve spent thousands of dollars on UFC pay-per-views. I’ve followed fighters through multiple promotions, watched prospects before they became champions, and consumed more MMA content than I care to admit. In an alternate reality where workers’ rights were a fundamental principle of our nation and not something constantly under attack, there’s a good chance I’d be writing about MMA every day instead of labor issues. That’s how much of a fan I am.
Which is exactly why I won’t be watching UFC Freedom 250.
My problem isn’t with the fighters. It isn’t even with the UFC itself. The issue is that government should not be serving as a marketing department for a private corporation.
The White House belongs to the American people. It is not an arena. It is not a convention center. It is not a backdrop for a corporate promotional event.
Yet that’s exactly what UFC Freedom 250 represents.
While the UFC brand is what fans see, the company itself is part of TKO Group Holdings, a multibillion-dollar publicly traded entertainment corporation. This isn’t some local charity fundraiser or community celebration being held on public grounds. This is one of the largest sports and entertainment companies in the world being granted access to one of the most recognizable symbols of American government.
Whether someone loves Trump, hates Trump, loves the UFC, or hates the UFC misses the larger point. The federal government should not be hosting major corporate events. If Americans would object to the White House grounds being used to promote a Fortune 500 retailer, a major bank, or a Hollywood studio, they should be equally uncomfortable watching it become a venue for a TKO-owned entertainment property.
The concern isn’t mixed martial arts. The concern is precedent. The White House exists to serve the public, not to elevate private corporations, their brands, or their shareholders.
And let’s be honest about what this event really is.
Yes, there are championship fights. Yes, there are elite athletes competing. But UFC Freedom 250 is also a massive promotional vehicle for Paramount+, the streaming service carrying the event. Every major announcement, every promotional push, and every piece of marketing surrounding the card ultimately points consumers toward subscriptions and viewership. The White House becomes scenery. The fighters become content. The audience becomes potential customers.
That should bother people regardless of their politics.
There’s another aspect of this event that I can’t ignore.
Where are the women?
Women’s MMA has been one of the biggest success stories in combat sports. Female fighters have headlined major UFC cards, become global stars, and delivered some of the most memorable moments in company history. From champions to contenders, women have proven repeatedly that they belong on the sport’s biggest stages.
Yet UFC Freedom 250 features no women’s fights.
Could there be innocent explanations? Sure. But it’s difficult not to notice the audience this event appears designed to appeal to and the political culture surrounding it. I can only speculate, but many within MAGA politics have not exactly built a reputation for celebrating powerful women. In many corners of that movement, women who are outspoken, independent, and unapologetically fierce are treated as threats rather than role models. Seeing an event wrapped in patriotism, masculinity, and political symbolism leave female fighters completely absent raises questions that deserve to be asked.
Maybe there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Maybe there isn’t.
Either way, the absence is impossible to ignore.
The frustrating part is that the fights themselves look fantastic. As an MMA fan, I should be excited. Under different circumstances, I’d probably be counting down the days until fight night.
Instead, I’ll sit this one out.
Because I believe the White House should represent the American people, not serve as a billboard for a private corporation. Because government should not be in the business of hosting major corporate entertainment events or promoting streaming services. And because if we’re going to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we should be celebrating democratic institutions, not turning them into marketing opportunities for billion-dollar companies.
The fighters deserve respect.
The sport deserves respect.
The American people deserve better.
Matt Alley,
BlueCollarWriter Labor Media
Find Matt on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bluecollarwriter
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