Government · Washington
Donald Trump plans seven UFC cage fights on White House lawn for his 80th birthday, with strict physical standards for military guests
A 600-ton octagonal arena has been erected on the South Lawn. President Trump will watch seven Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts on Sunday, an event that has already drawn a lawsuit and set fitness-based conditions for invited soldiers.
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In brief
A 600-ton arena, built this week, will host seven mixed martial arts fights in an octagonal cage directly in front of the White House.
Invited soldiers must have a waist-to-height ratio of 0.55 or less and will bear their own travel costs.
A federal judge denied a petition from the Public Integrity Project that sought to stop the birthday celebration, which the group said was improperly linked to the 250th independence anniversary.
A 600-ton arena on the South Lawn
For his 80th birthday, Donald Trump is hosting seven UFC fights directly in front of the White House. A temporary octagonal cage, surrounded by stands for more than 4,000 spectators, was assembled this week on the South Lawn. A separate fan festival in the nearby Ellipse park is expected to draw over 120,000 visitors. The evening programme, billed as "UFC Freedom 250," also includes a small air show and attendance by celebrities and prominent Republican politicians.
Who gets in: military fitness criteria
Around 1,200 of the approximately 4,300 seats at the arena are reserved for members of the US armed forces. However, a Pentagon memo obtained by several outlets shows that invited soldiers must meet a waist-to-height ratio no greater than 0.55. For a 1.80-metre-tall, 30-year-old soldier, that means a waist circumference of 99 centimetres or less. Those troops are also required to pay their own travel expenses.
- White House arena
- 4300 people
- Ellipse Park fan fest
- 120000 people
Data from the article text
Legal challenge and pushback
The plans drew objections early. The civil-rights group Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit in early June seeking to stop the White House celebration, arguing Trump had initially presented it as part of America's 250th independence anniversary events. A judge rejected the request on Friday. Separately, the movement "No Kings" has called for nationwide watch parties of a New York concert celebrating the First Amendment, timed to coincide with the start of the bouts.
Trump’s birthday versus America’s 250th
Trump maintains the date is incidental. He told an interviewer,
“June 14 is coincidentally my birthday. That was not planned.”
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Sources and context
- Donald Trump
- President of the United States, celebrating his 80th birthday
- Joe Biden
- Former U.S. President who also turned 80 while in office
- Dana White
- CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
- Places
- Washington, D.C.
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