Temporary UFC arena built on the South Lawn of the White House for Freedom 250
Construction begins on the White House South Lawn Arena for the 5,000-guest UFC Freedom 250.
The Pentagon is selecting U.S. soldiers to appear in uniform at the Ultimate Fighting Championship bout at the White House in the coming weeks, but the service members must meet a waist-to-height ratio and pay for their own transportation to Washington, D.C., according to news reports and screenshots shared on social media.
The Washington Post first reported on May 29 that hundreds of military personnel have received formal requests from the Pentagon in recent days to attend a UFC fight on the White House lawn on June 14.
But only service members who aren’t overweight and meet certain height and weight requirements can participate, according to a screenshot of a Pentagon memo shared on military Facebook groups and people familiar with the matter. According to a shared memo and a CNN report, the standard is a waist-to-height ratio of less than 0.55.
And while military personnel will be given free tickets, they will have to travel to the capital at their own expense, the official said.
An Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said soldiers who are fans of UFC fights and meet Army standards will be given priority, which is standard practice at such events. A total of 300 tickets were made available to military personnel, with 100 of those tickets going to the Army National Guard.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
White House press secretary Davis Ingle spoke to USA TODAY about “ticket allocation” to the UFC.
“This will be one of the largest and most historic sporting events in history, and for President Trump to host it at the White House is a testament to President Trump’s vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary,” Ingle said in a statement to USA TODAY.
About 1,200 of the 4,300 participants in the fight will be active military, UFC CEO Dana White said in an interview with TIME. The game is invitation-only, but a giant screen will be installed on the Ellipse, allowing an additional 85,000 people to watch the game for free without tickets.
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth has frequently criticized the military for relaxing physical fitness requirements. In a speech to military leaders last year, he criticized the “fat military” and “fat generals and admirals.”
The UFC bout is not the first time the Pentagon has introduced military weight requirements into the backdrop of a high-profile televised event. When President Donald Trump spoke at Fort Bragg last June, Army leaders carefully selected soldiers to attend the event based on appearance and banned “fat soldiers” from attending, Military.com reported.
Preparations are well underway for the UFC bout, which will coincide with President Trump’s 80th birthday and National Flag Day. Construction is underway at the White House to prepare for a giant cage and 5,000-seat arena where the fights will take place.
The move comes as the U.S. government prepares for a major celebration this summer to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. States across the country are holding celebrations ranging from running races to battle re-enactments.
On President Trump’s birthday last year, the Army held a huge military parade in downtown Washington, with thousands of uniformed soldiers marching, tanks rolling through the city and people parachuting out of planes. The parade was criticized for inappropriately politicizing the military.
