UFC’s Dana White Wins $1.2 Million in Las Vegas as Rumors of White House Event Grow

UFC President and CEO Dana White recently won a $1.2 million casino jackpot in Las Vegas, Nevada ahead of UFC 317.

The Saturday, June 28 event was headlined by a lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira – but before the combatants could step into the Octagon, White cashed out with eight figures while playing blackjack at the Fontainebleau Hotel.

White, who is never afraid to stick his nose into the news, is also making rounds for reportedly working with President Donald Trump to bring a fight card to the White House lawn for the Fourth of July in 2026.

A solid payday

White’s jackpot win occurred during UFC International Fight Week. The celebration is an annual tradition hosted by UFC in Las Vegas that celebrates different forms of mixed martial arts and culminates in a UFC card.

Though not a form of mixed martial arts, White visited the Fontainebleau on Friday after a night of Power Slap 13. Power Slap, founded by White, is a league in which combatants stand across from and take turns slapping each other. The goal is to knock out the opponent.

Former NFL player and host of the popular podcast Bussin With The Boys Taylor Lewan was alongside White during the huge win. 

Edited parts of a vlog recorded for Lewan showed White’s progression toward the huge win. 

The UFC boss is no stranger to the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas. The city is not just a frequent host of different fighting events, but it's also a favorite destination for White, a known high-roller.

White has openly spoken about his love for the thrill of gambling. He’s been so successful that he said several casinos asked him not to play there since he won so frequently.

UFC coming to the White House?

While not casino related, the biggest gamble of White’s career could be on the horizon at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"This will be epic!!!" White commented on an Instagram post detailing a potential fight.

President Trump has made seemingly outlandish claims in the past, some of which came to fruition and some of which were forgotten entirely. However, Trump has a strong relationship with the UFC community as a frequent event attendee and advocate for fighters.

His suggestion for an event at the White House included estimates of at least 20,000 fans, an idea that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed he was “dead serious” about.

“We're going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said. “We have a lot of land there, we're going to build – we're not, Dana's going to do it – Dana's great, one of a kind. We're going to have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight. Like 20, 25 thousand people.

“We're going to that as part of [America’s 250th birthday], also. We're going to have some professional events, some amateur events, but the UFC fight is going to be a big deal too.”

UFC legend Conor McGregor has not competed in a UFC event since 2021 but said he wanted in on a potential White House event. Meanwhile, former middleweight champion and current commentator, Michael Bisping, said that he wanted to see heavyweights Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones fight for the heavyweight title in the main event.