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Donald Trump has revealed the historic UFC card taking place at the White House is set to go ahead on June 14 next year - which will be his 80th birthday.
The President made the announcement during a speech at Naval Station Norfolk on Sunday to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
Trump in July had announced that a UFC event would take place at the White House in 2026, but did not give a date.
He counts UFC President Dana White as a close friend and considers fans of the sport part of his political base, although their ties long predate his presidency.
White this week told the Sports Business Journal that the UFC will spend $700k to replace the South Lawn grass at the White House after the event.
Since becoming president, Trump has been a regular attendee at UFC fights, most recently attending one in New Jersey in June. But the relationship between Trump and White goes back to 2000, when the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was one of the few U.S. venues willing to host UFC events at the time.
Donald Trump has revealed the historic UFC card at the White House will go ahead on June 14
White recently announced that fighters competing on the White House card will make their entrances from Trump's Oval Office, before heading out the Octagon in front of an expected 5,000 fans.
'The fights will happen on the South Lawn of the White House,' he confirmed during a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe and Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson's Nightcap podcast.
'Do you know what is probably the most bada** thing about that?' he continued. 'The fighters will actually walk from the Oval Office into the Octagon.'
White said there will be fewer than 5,000 fans in attendance, but up to 85,000 people may be able to access a viewing area. Conor McGregor is poised to be one of the headline names competing on the night.
'We'll build the greatest card of all time,' he added before saying about McGregor, 'Conor and I have been talking consistently, he wants this fight bad and when you get to a level that Conor is at you have to find things that motivate you, and the White House card has definitely motivated Conor McGregor.'
