By Charles Pemu 
President Donald Trump announced a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event will be held on the White House grounds next year, confirming the date will be June 14, which marks his 80th birthday.
The president made the announcement to a crowd of Navy sailors at the Norfolk naval base in Virginia, though he did not specifically mention that the date coincided with his milestone birthday.
The date change moves the high-profile mixed martial arts bout from its previously announced target of July 4, 2026. the day the United States is set to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding.
The move to host the often-bloody combat sport at the center of US political power will be a historic first. UFC, the largest organization in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), features fighters using a blend of disciplines like kickboxing, boxing, and jiu-jitsu inside an eight-sided, chain-link ring dubbed “The Octagon.”
UFC boss Dana White previously hyped the event, stating that the White House card would be “the greatest fight card ever assembled in the history of definitely this company.”
Trump has a long and visible association with the UFC, often attending high-profile contests where he is greeted with rock-star enthusiasm. The sport’s controversial, brutal nature and its significant popularity among young men, a key demographic in the 2024 US election—have made the president a regular fixture.
Trump’s 79th birthday this year was marked by a military parade held to commemorate the founding of the US Army