World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the crypto project linked to the Trump family, has officially become the presenting sponsor of UFC Freedom 250 held on the White House's South Lawn. WLFI will contribute $250,000 in its USD1 stablecoin to the Fight of the Night bonus pool. The event also doubles as a celebration for former President Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
WLFI Boosts UFC Bonus Pool
WLFI co-founder Zach Witkoff announced the sponsorship via a video posted on X last Friday. "WLFI is proud to be the presenting sponsor of UFC Freedom 250 ?," he wrote. "We've added $250,000 in USD1 as the Fight of the Night bonus." Zach is the son of Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Middle East envoy, further tightening ties between the Trump family's crypto ventures and the White House.
Crypto Firms Gather at the White House
Beyond WLFI, several other crypto companies appeared at the event. Exchange Crypto.com served as co-presenting partner, with logos of VeChain, Polymarket, and Stake displayed inside the UFC octagon. Prediction market Polymarket, where Donald Trump Jr. serves as an advisor, said it was honored to sponsor the UFC Freedom 250 and will award a community prize "recognizing outstanding service among military, police, and first responders." Decentralized platform Exodus, which became UFC's official payment partner two weeks ago, will roll out fan experiences during the event.
UFC CEO Dana White earlier announced that this year's Fight of the Night bonus would be the largest in UFC history: $1 million in CRO tokens, the native token of Crypto.com. WLFI's USD1 contribution is an additional top-up.
Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit
Just before the event, two Virginia residents filed a lawsuit arguing that a for-profit event should not be legally held on federal government grounds. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, ruled that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing and had sought emergency intervention too late, dismissing the case. The White House has repeatedly denied that the appearance of Trump-affiliated crypto firms at the event creates any conflict of interest.