Despite the UFC and White House framing UFC Freedom 250 as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, many Americans aren’t buying that narrative. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, the event, scheduled on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14 at the White House South Lawn, is wildly unpopular with the public. 

The poll painted a bleak picture for the event. Just 16% of Americans said Trump hosting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House was appropriate, while 46% called it inappropriate. The remaining respondents either declined to answer or had no opinion. What makes the numbers even more striking is the Republican response. 

Only 31% of Republicans viewed the event as appropriate, despite roughly eight in 10 Republicans approving of Trump’s overall job performance in the White House. The six-day Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted between June 3 and June 8 among 4,351 adults nationwide, carried a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

The findings aren’t entirely surprising given the controversy surrounding Trump’s plans for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. While the festivities are expected to feature musical performances and public events, reports have revealed that several artists have distanced themselves from the celebrations over concerns about their association with Trump.

What’s more, several celebrities invited by Dana White to attend the event, including Dwayne Johnson, Adam Sandler, and Jared Leto, have reportedly declined the invitation. To top it off, the UFC White House event came at a time when the public is struggling. Grocery prices are surging, inflation is rising, and Trump’s war with Iran hasn’t helped his case. 

And while the public is dealing with all this, TKO Group, the company behind the UFC, is spending $60 million on the event, which is being viewed as Trump’s big birthday party. As if the public backlash wasn’t enough, UFC Freedom 250 has also become the subject of a legal battle. 

Moreover, if you need a real-life reflection of his unpopularity, look at what happened to Trump when he attended the Knicks game on Monday. He was then met with both cheers and boos from the crowd when shown on the arena’s big screen. But that’s outside of the UFC; within the MMA world itself, people aren’t happy about the event. 

UFC Freedom 250 branded a love letter to Donald Trump

Earlier this month, UFC CEO Dana White was adamant that the Freedom 250 card isn’t political despite his connection to Donald Trump. However, journalist Ariel Helwani questioned the intention behind the event, asking if it was supposed to be a “love letter to Trump.” 

That’s mainly because the event is on June 14 and not July 4th as was earlier suggested. Add to that, UFC very rarely holds events on Sundays—with rare exceptions, the event’s timing doesn’t look great. But again, Helwani is a journalist, and he is supposed to ask questions. Yet, UFC’s own fighters are raising their voices against the event. 

Sean Strickland claimed that top brass in the UFC banned him from attending the event. Meanwhile, UFC bantamweight Bryce Mitchell criticized the government for getting involved in sports rather than doing its job. And UFC star Brandon Royval compared the event to ‘The Hunger Games.’

Considering all of that, no one seems to be approving the UFC White House event, but the event is likely to move forward without any problems.