Donald Trump is hosting a seven-fight mixed martial arts (MMA) gala in a specially designed arena on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, just in time for his 80th birthday. The event is being presented as a new example of his unconventional style at a tense moment in his presidential term, Reuters notes.
Seventeen months into his second term, Trump has continued to test the limits of convention associated with the presidency of the United States, often using spectacular events to attract attention and project an image of strength. This time, the stage is the UFC Octagon, the eight-sided cage where the fights take place, located a short distance from his White House bedroom, for the event called “UFC Freedom 250”.
The name refers to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, which will be marked next month.
The event comes as Donald Trump grapples with the fallout from the four-month-old war with Iran, which has pushed consumer prices to their highest level in three years and unsettled many voters, according to opinion polls. The gala also coincides with his anniversary and attempts to combat the perception that his political influence is beginning to wane towards the end of his term.
A break from war
Trump is set to watch 14 mixed martial arts fighters from five countries battle it out with punches and grappling moves in front of an estimated 4,000 people. The matches will take place in a temporary arena about 28 meters high, located on the grounds of the White House and nicknamed “The Claw”.
The night's headliner, scheduled to go no more than five rounds, pits UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria against former interim belt holder Justin Gaethje. The gala is scheduled to start at 20:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Monday).
Tickets have not gone on sale to the general public. According to a source familiar with the event, the UFC has extended invitations to guests who paid more than $1 million, and the Trump administration says about a quarter of those in attendance will be in the military.
Trump's decision to host a private company's event on the White House's federal grounds, invoking his executive powers, was a departure from usual practice and has sparked a lawsuit, as well as questions about the cost of the event and potential conflicts of interest. UFC's parent company, TKO Group Holdings, is listed on the stock exchange.
According to a June 3-8 online Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,531 American adults, only 16 percent of respondents thought it was appropriate for Trump to hold such an event. But a judge refused to block the gala on Friday, rejecting a request by plaintiffs who argued the administration overstepped its bounds, including by failing to get congressional approval.
Trump has long had a close relationship with UFC CEO Dana White as well as the Ellisons. Paramount, which it controls, has a contract worth $7.7 billion to broadcast UFC matches until 2033.
“Spectator-in-Chief”
Trump has made sports a recurring theme of his presidency, expressing opinions on topics such as the participation of transgender athletes in competitions or the pay of college football players and attending numerous major sporting events.
France changed its schedule so that the G7 summit, which starts on Monday, would allow Trump to attend after the UFC gala.
