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White House UFC Card: Troops Face Fitness Test
5 Jun
Summary
- Service members must pass fitness tests to attend the event.
- Tickets prioritize junior troops from outside the D.C. area.
- Attendees must pay their own travel expenses to the event.
UFC Freedom 250, scheduled for June 14 on the White House South Lawn, now requires service members to pass physical fitness tests for attendance. Pentagon guidance mandates a waist-to-height ratio of 0.55 or lower, with a 0.52 benchmark for Marines. Troops must also meet their respective branch's fitness standards.
Commands are encouraged to select junior enlisted troops and officers, particularly those from outside the Washington D.C. area. Importantly, service members are responsible for funding their own travel to the event. This event, with an estimated $60 million budget, has faced numerous logistical challenges since its announcement.
The fight card itself has garnered mixed reviews, notably excluding popular fighters like Islam Makhachev, Jon Jones, and Conor McGregor. Despite initial hopes for numerous title fights, the finalized card features only two championship bouts. Construction is ongoing on the South Lawn for the event, which coincides with Flag Day and Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
