Updated: June 15, 2026
Could the White House get more bizarre? There’s another twist to President Donald Trump’s birthday UFC spectacle — some fighters will be paid in cryptocurrency linked to a Trump family business.
Who’s Getting Paid
The Ultimate Fighting Championship revealed that fighters competing at the highly publicized UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14 on the White House South Lawn will be eligible for performance bonuses paid in USD1, a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company launched by the Trump family.
UFC heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit drew widespread criticism after making a controversial remark about former First Lady Michelle Obama during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan following his victory over Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn.
The event, taking place on Trump’s 80th birthday, is already one of the most controversial sporting events in modern American history. Now comes yet another financial Trump tie-in.
First it was revealed that Trump purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE, just weeks before a White House UFC event.
Then there’s the Trump crypto tie.
World Liberty Financial, co-founded by members of the Trump family and associates of Trump ally Steve Witkoff, announced a $250,000 bonus pool that will be distributed to fighters who earn “Performance of the Night” honors.
Unlike traditional bonuses paid in cash, these awards will be distributed in USD1, a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to the U.S. dollar.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said there is no conflict of interest because Trump’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children.
“The Fake News’ continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are irresponsible,” Ingle said, the Guardian reported.
World Liberty Financial launched USD1 in 2025 and has promoted the stablecoin as an alternative to more established digital currencies such as Tether and USDC.
According to reports, USD1’s market capitalization has already surpassed $5 billion.
Trump’s own financial disclosures list holdings in World Liberty Financial worth more than $50 million.
