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President Donald Trump is excited about the Ultimate Fighting Championship who will hold an event at the White House for his birthday this weekend – especially his gift to himself, since he made the idea. We have the details of the fights and the expected attractions.
The attraction is the Octagon
While the White House doesn’t know exactly which celebrities will appear at UFC Sunday because they didn’t respond to Ticketmaster’s email invitations, Trump aides tell Inner Loop that they’re expecting a group of donors to attend.
Tickets will be free – and there are no resales – because the UFC is on about $60 million to organize the event, but the UFC has also offered a support package above the $1 million that comes with side seats.
With few ways for executives and companies to approach Trump these days, political consulting firms in Washington have been advising clients to buy the packages, and Trump aides say they have been overwhelmed by the requests.
The requests for help come on top of many inquiries by administration officials and members of Congress trying to get into UFC White House affairs, which have been overwritten because Trump has control over most of the seats and chooses who he wants and who he doesn’t, aides say.
The most sought-after seats are under the Claw, a giant 92-foot-tall arch that houses the lights and sound system above the Octagon. The building was called a “beta tent” by vendor Stageco, but it was changed by the White House, ESPN reported.
UFC president Dana White is he said that he and Ari Emanuel, chairman of the UFC’s parent company, will control 700 seats between them, while Trump will control about 1,200.
A popular way to get direct time with Trump during his second term in office was to buy a $1 million seat at the so-called venue. candlelit dinner led by the Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. Trump goes person-to-person and speaks directly to them, according to a political consultant with close ties to Trump’s fundraising efforts.
But candlelit dinners don’t happen often — sometimes months go by without a dinner, the consultant said — so companies that missed out on funding Trump’s ballroom were advised to consider sponsorships.
A White House official tells Inner Loop that he was not involved in any sponsorship negotiations and valuable information could be obtained by the UFC. At least some of the UFC’s Octagon sponsors, including Meta, have business interests in the eyes of the federal government.
In a statement, White House spokesman David Ingle dismissed the idea of drawing attention to the event. He said: “Fake news stories that continue to try to stir up public debates are inappropriate and cause people to doubt what they are reading. “There are no conflicts of interest.”
Night of War
Meanwhile, Trump’s team admits that the UFC White House event will not feature big names; they couldn’t find the likes of former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
There were talks behind White’s contract with fellow contract negotiator Hunter Campbell to keep both of them, but those talks ended, people familiar with the matter told Inner Loop.
It would have been a big deal if the White House would have brought back McGregor, the biggest influencer in the history of the sport, in his comeback fight, after his last appearance in the Octagon in 2021 against Dustin Poirier he broke his leg.
