The upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House on June 14 will be a celebration of America and its past time, but current military members just learned they’ll have to meet certain criteria to even be eligible to attend the once-in-a-lifetime mixed martial arts (MMA) card.
As you know, UFC is hosting a massive Washington D.C. takeover next month as the premier MMA promotion stages an event live from the White House South Lawn. The event will be headlined by a title unification bout between UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje, as well as an interim heavyweight title fight between former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira and perennial contender Ciryl Gane.
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With so much fanfare surrounding UFC’s Freedom 250 fight card it will be almost impossible to get a ticket. This includes military members that are eligible to receive free tickets to the event. According to a Pentagon memo obtained by NBC News on Friday, troops will have to check off a few different boxes if they want to score a seat at the limited White House event.
Check it out below:
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To be eligible, military personnel “must meet current waist-height ratio and current physical fitness standard.”
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Travel costs will be “member-procured”, meaning neither the UFC nor the Defense Department will cover arrangements or accommodations.
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The memo also states: “Tickets must be distributed to genuine UFC fans, not solely to high-ranking DVs.”
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Troops will also be required to wear their short-sleeve dress uniforms.
The most shocking ask here is the weight and height requirement. Maybe the promotion is doing it to limit space in the crowd or to make sure everyone looks fit on national TV, but it seems a tad unfair. According to the memo, military members “must meet a waist-to-height ratio of less than 0.55,” as well as “all service-specific physical fitness test requirements.”
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On a positive note, the memo did call for tickets to be awarded to those who only consider themselves diehard UFC fans. Per the memo, “tickets must be distributed to genuine UFC fans, not solely by high-ranking [distinguished visitors].” This means even the lowest ranked troops can land themselves a spot on the White House lawn. The only issue is figuring out how to determine your overall UFC fanhood and if it’s greater than the next person.
Check out a funny UFC litmus test below (via AFeldmanMMA) and let us know your thoughts on these new White House requirements!
