As part of his continued bid to consolidate cryptocurrency’s mainstream hold, US President Donald Trump contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars through his own crypto venture to expand the bonus pool for the UFC White House event, according to an official announcement during the Sunday broadcast.

Ahead of the historic UFC event at the White House, which coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday, Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, announced that the weekend’s fight night would open the cage to the largest bonuses ever. Thanks to the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI) contributing $250,000, the bonus pool for UFC Freedom 250 fighters received a major boost, rising to $1.65 million, which would ultimately be split between multiple players.

Trump crypto contribution expands historic UFC bonus pool

Bonuses paid to fighters through the Trump family’s business venture, World Liberty Financial, will be issued as a cryptocurrency called “stablecoins.” The currency named “USD1” was designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the US dollar.

This move by World Liberty, which has since been listed as an “official sponsor” of the UFC Freedom 250 event, will inevitably help popularise the stablecoin, presumably paving the way for its broader day-to-day use.

The Delaware-based crypto company was co-founded by Donald Trump and his son, alongside the family of Steve Witkoff, the POTUS’s special envoy to the Middle East, in 2024.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle previously slammed “fake news,” referring to the repeated reports citing conflicts of interest. “The Fake News’ continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are irresponsible and reinforce the public’s distrust in what they read,” Ingle said, as quoted by The Guardian.

The Trump White House official asserted there was no conflict of interest and that the MAGA leader’s assets are in a trust managed by his children.

Meanwhile, Zach Witkoff, co-founder and CEO of World Liberty Financial, issued a statement, celebrating the venture’s association with the “historic night for UFC and the United States.”

He stated, “A victory in Washington should mean money in your pocket immediately, not when the bank opens. USD1 makes U.S. dollars more accessible and faster than ever before,” as quoted by The Sporting News. “We believe this is the future of finance, and we’re excited to partner with UFC, which has done more than any organisation to modernise the business of sports.”

California Governor and Trump’s vocal critic, Gavin Newsom, criticised Trump for backing the UFC White House card and using it to “promote” a company the president has ties to.

“The White House was built to serve the American people,” he wrote on X. “Tonight it was used to promote a company the President owns stock in, sell subscriptions, promote corporate sponsors, push Trump crypto, and enrich the President and his family. The founders warned us about kings enriching themselves from public office. They did not fight a revolution for this.”

White House UFC fight’s bonus payouts revealed

The high-stakes White House bout has left over a million dollars on the table for fighters. In addition to the Trump family venture pooling in $250,000, Crypto.com had previously offered up $1 million to two athletes who would earn the ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.

According to ESPN, the traditional fight night bonuses stood at $50,000. Earlier this year, that figure was doubled to $100,000, as UFC forged its new broadcast deal with Paramount. In another rare feat before the Sunday event, the largest bonuses awarded were $300,000, in honour of the UFC 300 milestone in April 2024.

With World Liberty Financial and Crypto.com joining forces with UFC, this year’s bonus promotions will result in $400,000 bonuses to each participant in the best fight of the night, and two $425,000 bonuses will be set aside for the top individual performances of the night.

A new $25,000 finish bonus has also been introduced for anybody scoring a knockout or submission on a card.

Making for one of the most unique sporting events in history, UFC Freedom 250 is being hosted on the South Lawn of the White House. Before taking his cageside seat, Donald Trump was seen walking out of the Oval Office, alongside Dana White, for his big entrance of the night. Other notable attendees included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Vice President JD Vance and Steve Witkoff.

The Sport News also reported that 1,200 of the 4,300 available seats at the White House card were reserved for military members. Meanwhile, the US Marine Corps Band stepped up to the occasion as the official music-maker of the night and even performed Trump’s favourite, “YMCA” by the Village People.