No heavyweights allowed: Troops must meet fitness criteria to attend White House UFC event

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is requiring members of the military to meet a certain body type criteria in order to attend the big Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House next month, according to two people familiar with the criteria and a Pentagon memo outlining the criteria that was reviewed by NBC News. The memo, which was issued to branches of the military this week, states that service members who receive tickets to the big fighting event on the South Lawn must meet a waist-to-height ratio of less than 0.55, “as well as all service-specific physical fitness test requirements.” Uniformed troops from commands around the world are eligible to request tickets, but the Pentagon will not cover their travel costs, according to the memo, which describes the fight as a “high visibility” event at on the White House South Lawn. And in this instance, service members’ level of devotion to the UFC means more than their rank. “Tickets must be distributed to genuine UFC fans, not solely by high-ranking [distinguished visitors],” according to the memo. The Pentagon declined to comment on the matter. The Pentagon requiring troops to meet a certain fitness standard for the event was first reported by the Washington Post on Friday. The requirements suggest Pentagon leaders and organizers of the UFC fight — which is shaping up to be President Donald Trump’s marquee event around celebrating America’s 250th anniversary — are placing a higher premium on the image of the audience than the record or length of service of active-duty troops. Demand is high for the event, which is held on the same day as Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14, with limited supplies of tickets. Trump is handpicking most of the 4,000-plus spectators lucky enough, cunning enough or rich enough to secure a seat, according to a report last week in NBC News. “I’m going to make a lot of enemies because it’s impossible to get everyone tickets,” Trump told NBC news in an interview earlier this month. Discussions about whether members of the military who attend the UFC fight will be considered “deployed” while there, as they were when they took part in the Army 250 parade last summer, have been ongoing for months among organizers of the event and within the Defense Department. For troops seeking tickets, the Pentagon memo says, “Commands should ensure a fair and transparent selection process.” They required attire for attendance will be “Short sleeve uniform with appropriate military regalia & headgear,” according to the memo, which notes: “The event is standing room only, outdoors and uncovered.”