UFC Cage Fight on White House Grounds for Trump's 80th Birthday

As the official justification for hosting the event, organizers cite the celebrations surrounding the 250th Independence Day of the USA. "Stattdessen werden als Begründung die Feierlichkeiten rund um den 250. Unabhängigkeitstag der USA angeführt. Der ist allerdings auf den 4. Juli datiert." The timing's proximity to Trups' birthday nevertheless sparks discussion. Trump is celebrating his 80th birthday this weekend.

Controversial Venue and Security Measures

UFC is a professional league for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), which combines techniques from boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, karate, and jiu-jitsu. "Anders als etwa beim Wrestling sind die Kämpfe nicht gestellt. Ganz im Gegenteil: Nicht selten wird Blut vergossen, Knochen brechen oder Kombattanten werden von ihren Gegnern bewusstlos geprügelt." Mutual provocations and humiliations of fighters in the ring and at press conferences are also common. In Germany, MMA events were considered disreputable at the beginning of the millennium and were sometimes subject to a TV ban; in the USA, combat sports are popular, especially among men.

Trump is considered a longtime fan of the league and a friend of UFC chief Dana White, who had supported him during the campaign. According to the president's published transaction reports, Trump came into possession of shares of UFC parent company TKO worth up to $50,000 at the end of March. Trump has also sat in the audience as a spectator on multiple occasions.

Connections Between Trump and the UFC

Opponents of the event criticize, among other things, that the combat sports evening will be broadcast on the streaming service Paramount+. Paramount is reportedly backed by the family of software billionaire Larry Ellison, who is known as a Trump supporter. Critics accuse the network of using the spectacle to gain new subscribers.

Critics had also filed a lawsuit against the event in advance. They accused Trump of granting the UFC chief and his company access to the White House "um ein privates, gewinnorientiertes Sportevent zu veranstalten - mit all den Werbe- und Branding-Möglichkeiten, die ein solcher Zugang mit sich bringt". A court dismissed the lawsuit, citing, among other reasons, that the objections had been filed too late.

Opponents Organize Watch Parties and Concerts

In parallel, the protest movement "No Kings," which is known in the USA for mass demonstrations against Trump's policies, is calling for actions to take place simultaneously with the start of the fight spectacle. "Auch in diesem Jahr rufen die Organisatoren landesweit zu Veranstaltungen auf, die etwa zeitgleich zum Beginn des Kampfspektakels geplant sind … Wer das Prügel-Event ablehnt, soll vielmehr bei sogenannten Watch Parties mitmachen und sich in privaten Wohnzimmern, Gemeinschaftszentren oder Geschäften ein Konzert in New York anschauen." The action is meant to honor the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, "der unter anderem Meinungsfreiheit, Pressefreiheit und Versammlungsfreiheit garantiert".

The concert in New York will feature, according to the organizer "Committee for the First Amendment," among others, actresses Jane Fonda, Bette Midler, and Julia Roberts, as well as musicians Rufus Wainwright and Patti Smith. In a statement from the "No Kings" movement, participants were told to follow the concert in New York, "während der Präsident versucht, das Land mit seinem UFC-Käfigkampf-Spektakel abzulenken". Already last year, on Trump's 79th birthday, millions of people in Washington heeded the call of "No Kings" at protests.

This year too, there was advance criticism of a large-scale event tied to Trump's birthday: "Schon im Jahr zuvor, an Trumps 79. Geburtstag, hatte in der Hauptstadt eine Großveranstaltung stattgefunden, die auf reichlich Kritik stieß: Vor den Augen des Präsidenten wurde eine Militärparade zelebriert - mit schweren Panzern, Fallschirmspringern und Helikoptern."

Reactions from Fans and Background

Among the spectators streaming toward the White House on Friday was an 18-year-old fan named Jordan from the neighboring state of Virginia, who was wearing a UFC jersey. "Dass die Kämpfe auf dem Gelände des Weißen Hauses stattfinden, findet er 'etwas seltsam'. Der beste Ort für blutige Kämpfe sei das sicherlich nicht."