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

The poll painted a bleak picture for the event. Just 16% of Americans polled 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 about it. This means the people who find it inappropriate are almost three times more than those who find it appropriate. 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, polled 4,351 adults nationwide and carried a margin of error of only two percentage points.

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

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 has come at a time when the people are struggling financially, grocery prices are surging, inflation is rising, and Trump’s war with Iran hasn’t helped his case either. 

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 by many. As if the public backlash wasn’t enough, UFC Freedom 250 has also become the subject of a new legal battle.

Moreover, if you need a real-life reflection of his unpopularity, you need only look at the not-so-warm reception he received on Tuesday when he attended Game 3 of the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden in New York. The moment his face appeared on the Jumbotron, the crowd at MSG began booing Trump. He was further booed by those watching the game outside. It even prompted Joe Rogan to advise Trump to ‘stick to UFC events.’ But it’s not just those outside of the UFC who have issues with the event. Even those within the MMA community have come out to voice their issues with 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.