White House Plans UFC Fight for Trump’s 80th Birthday

The White House is set to host a UFC event on June 14, the day President Trump turns 80. The fight will take place on the South Lawn, a first for the U. S. capital. A new arena with 4, 000 seats is being built on the grounds. The event will feature top fighters for lightweight and heavyweight titles. More than 1, 000 active military members are invited to the event. However, a memo shows that soldiers must meet height and weight limits to receive tickets. The list also includes high‑profile guests such as Tom Brady, Jason Statham, Jared Leto, Dwayne Johnson and Guy Ritchie. Two actors, Adam Sandler and Mario Lopez, declined to attend because of other commitments.The UFC is expected to spend about $60 million on the production. The company will cover all costs, including arena construction and fighter pay. White has said the event will lose around $30 million. The company plans to use existing White House staff for security, but it is unclear who will pay for crowd control and traffic management. Fans cannot buy tickets. The UFC has given away roughly 85, 000 free seats for the Ellipse Park fan festival, where people can watch on giant screens. The main fight is invite‑only. VIP packages cost $1. 5 million and include lawn seats, a private reception, weigh‑ins, press conferences, a concert, and front‑row seats at UFC 329. The fight will be streamed live on Paramount+ for $8. 99 a month. Critics have called the event tone‑dead and dangerous, especially amid ongoing conflicts abroad. Some argue that a UFC fight is inappropriate for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.