In just two weeks, the UFC will host its ambitious Freedom 250 event at the White House. Reportedly, between 4,000 and 5,000 people are expected to watch the historic event from the South Lawn, with most of them being active-duty military personnel. However, as the spectacle draws closer, reports suggest that U.S. troops selected to attend the event must meet specific height and weight eligibility standards.

According to a report from the Washington Post, the Pentagon plans to recruit hundreds of junior officers and junior enlisted personnel from all branches to appear at the White House for the UFC Freedom 250 event. The outlet cited memos circulating within the Air Force indicating that attending troops must meet certain “waist-to-height ratio and current physical standards” to qualify for the event.

A separate report from CNN referenced a social media post, specifically on Facebook, that displayed the circulating ticket recipient requirements. The post stated that attendees for the White House event must maintain a waist-to-height ratio of 0.55 or lower, which means their waist circumference must be less than 55% of their total height in order to satisfy the required physical fitness standards for the event. 

“Ticket recipients are required to meet the DOW waist-to-height ratio standard of less than 0.55, as well as all service-specific physical fitness test requirements,” the Facebook post read.

Well, Pentagon officials reportedly declined to comment on the memo. However, CNN’s report suggests that the fitness requirements might come from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s military vision outlined last year, which placed a strong emphasis on improving the physical fitness standards of military personnel.

The report also noted that the average American man stands around 5 feet 9 inches tall, while the average American woman is approximately 5 feet 4 inches. In that case, under the reported 0.55 waist-to-height ratio requirement, an average male service member would need a waist measurement of roughly 37 inches, while an average female service member would need a waist measurement of about 35 inches. But that is not the only requirement.

While the tickets to the event are free of cost, according to the Washington Post report, the military personnel selected to attend the event would also be responsible for their own travel expenses, as neither the White House nor the UFC will bear those costs. 

Now, as U.S. troops reportedly need to undergo height and weight screenings to attend the Freedom 250 card, the UFC CEO has cleared the air regarding claims that the event is becoming overly political.

Dana White shuts down claims UFC Freedom 250 has political inclinations

Ahead of the UFC’s ambitious Freedom 250 event, many have argued that the spectacle feels overly political. Given Dana White’s close relationship with President Donald Trump and the fact that the event is being held on the POTUS’s birthday, the perception has only grown with the event approaching. However, the UFC CEO insists the event is simply a tribute to America and stems from a purely patriotic standpoint.

“You can make anything political if you want to,” White told Time Magazine. “I love this country like anybody on the left loves this country. I love this country like anybody on the right loves this country. This is basically me spending a ­s—­load of money to celebrate the 250th birthday of America, with America and the rest of the world.”

To be fair, the UFC has gone above and beyond in terms of investment for the White House event. Several reports claim the promotion plans to spend approximately $60 million on the UFC Freedom 250 event, far exceeding the promotion’s previous $20 million investment for UFC 306 at the Las Vegas Sphere. As a result, UFC officials have reportedly acknowledged that the company is not expected to make a profit from the event.

Regardless of the requirements for military personnel, regular folks, around 80,000 fans, will also be able to watch the action for free from the Ellipse, the massive 52-acre park located just south of the White House.