UFC Mount Rushmore? Dana White Sparks Speculation About Promotion’s Next Mega-Event
The UFC may be preparing to take its next big event to one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States.
Following the enormous success of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House earlier this year, speculation is growing that UFC CEO Dana White could be considering Mount Rushmore in South Dakota as the location for the promotion’s next unconventional mega-event.
The idea gained serious attention after White was recently asked about the possibility of staging an event at Mount Rushmore. Rather than dismissing the suggestion, White smiled and responded that he loves the area and frequently visits nearby Sturgis.
That brief response was enough to send MMA fans into a frenzy.
From the Sphere to the White House to Mount Rushmore?
The UFC has increasingly embraced spectacular venues for major events.
UFC 306 at Las Vegas’ Sphere demonstrated the promotion’s willingness to build an event around a venue rather than simply place an Octagon inside a traditional arena. That was followed by UFC Freedom 250, which transformed the South Lawn of the White House into a temporary fight venue as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations.
White has repeatedly described the White House event as a once-in-a-lifetime production and said it would not be repeated.
However, he has also made it clear that the UFC isn’t finished experimenting with extraordinary locations.
In August, White revealed that UFC executive producer Craig Borsari had proposed another ambitious concept. White said he loved the idea but still needed to do additional groundwork before determining whether it could become reality.
Now, Mount Rushmore has emerged as one of the leading possibilities.
A UFC event with the Presidents looking over the Octagon
Few locations would provide a more dramatic backdrop.
Imagine the Octagon positioned in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with the massive faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln towering above the fighters.
It would instantly create one of the most recognizable images in UFC history.
The concept also fits White’s apparent desire to create events that are about more than just the fights. A Mount Rushmore card could combine MMA with American history, tourism and entertainment in a way that would make the event appealing even to people who don’t normally watch UFC.
Sportsbooks have already joined the speculation. Recent odds reportedly listed Mount Rushmore among the leading candidates for the UFC’s mysterious 2027 mega-event, with the landmark listed at 4/1.
Of course, betting odds are not confirmation that the UFC is actually planning an event there.
The logistics would be enormous
Turning the idea into reality, however, would be considerably more complicated than simply building an Octagon.
Mount Rushmore is a national memorial and an extremely sensitive historic site. The UFC would have to navigate federal regulations, environmental considerations, security, transportation, crowd management, broadcasting requirements and the physical limitations of the surrounding terrain.
There would also be questions about how many spectators could realistically attend an event at or near the monument.
Those challenges could make a traditional stadium-style event impossible.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean the idea is dead.
The UFC could potentially construct a limited-capacity venue in the surrounding area, using Mount Rushmore as the visual centerpiece rather than placing the Octagon directly in front of the monument.
Could Sturgis be part of the plan?
White’s comments about Sturgis may also be significant.
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracts hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to South Dakota, and Mount Rushmore is one of the region’s most popular attractions.
A UFC event timed around the rally could potentially create an enormous sports-and-entertainment weekend.
For a promoter like White, who has long embraced the spectacle surrounding combat sports, the combination of UFC + Mount Rushmore + Sturgis would be difficult to ignore.
Interestingly, White has previously visited the area for his UFC-related television series Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight, which featured a trip to Mount Rushmore and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Nothing is official — yet
For now, fans should pump the brakes.
There has been no official UFC announcement confirming a Mount Rushmore event, and White has not publicly committed to the location.
What is confirmed is that the UFC is exploring another major event after the success of its recent unconventional productions. Mount Rushmore has now entered the conversation, and White’s reaction has only added fuel to the speculation.
If the UFC can somehow pull it off, however, it could produce another unforgettable image: fighters battling inside the Octagon while four American presidents look down from the mountain.
After the Sphere and the White House, perhaps Mount Rushmore really is the UFC’s next impossible event.
