If a mixed martial arts battle on the South Lawn wasn’t enough excitement, a new report indicates that there’s an altogether different heart-pumping performance planned for just before the fighters take the ring.
Motocross athlete Travis Pastrana confirmed that he’ll be performing a stunt on the White House lawn as part of the event, which is part of a larger celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The Hill provided these details:
Pastrana, who has dabbled in death-defying stunts for his former TV series “Nitro Circus” (and elsewhere), revealed earlier this week on Instagram that Dana White had helped bring the idea to life.
ADVERTISEMENTIn a video posted to Pastrana’s account on June 9, White alleges that Pastrana had once asked him if it was possible to do a “backflip on the South Lawn of the White House.” White then reveals to Pastrana that he “got it done,” though he did not provide additional details in the video clip.
As of Friday morning, it was unclear when on Saturday the jump would take place.
The announcement sparked some excitement on social media:
OOOOOOH DAMN!!!! 🇺🇸 🧨
— HeyTacos (@ThePeoplesTacos) June 12, 2026
Jeremy McGrath is the 5th rider Travis Pastrana has invited for the White House Lawn Jump this weekend! The King of Supercross is officially in! pic.twitter.com/fowanM49dh
— Dirtbikelover (@Dirtbike_Lovers) June 12, 2026
Updates on the progress just days out from the unique event have also flooded timelines:
After months of build up and weeks spent transforming the White House's South lawn into a mixed martial arts venue, UFC Freedom 250 is nearly here.
As part of the celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, President Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White have worked together… pic.twitter.com/K6uOxOr8ch
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 12, 2026
The full text from the post above:
After months of build up and weeks spent transforming the White House’s South lawn into a mixed martial arts venue, UFC Freedom 250 is nearly here.
ADVERTISEMENTAs part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday, President Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White have worked together to put on a series of seven fights in Washington, D.C. that carry major ramifications for their respective divisions.
The star-studded main card is set for Sunday, June 14, which is also Trump’s 80th birthday. The temporary arena known as “The Claw” constructed at the White House is a 92-foot, 600-ton structure that will sit 4,300 people, with thousands more watching on large screens at a park across the street.
The matches include a lightweight championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje as well as Ciryl Gane vs. Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight championship.
Here’s what The Independent added:
“You grabbed me at Power Slap and said, ‘I want to do a backflip on the South Lawn of the White House,'” White told Pastrana during a Tuesday video conference. “And I said, ‘Interesting. All right, let me see what I can do.'”
Pestrana has since said on social media that fellow bikers Ricky Carmichael and Brian Deegan will make death-defying motorcycle jumps with him, according to The Hill.
And here’s some additional coverage of the upcoming event:
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