Senior Pentagon leaders are compiling lists of uniformed U.S. service members to attend a UFC fight at the White House next month, hosted by President Donald Trump. While tickets to the event are free, the guidance memos reviewed by CNN and sources familiar with the process indicate that service members will be required to pay their own way for travel and accommodation. This effectively privatizes the costs associated with attending a state-orchestrated event, shifting the financial burden onto the individual service members.
The selection process for attendees is highly controlled, focusing on physical appearance and specific demographic criteria. The guidance mandates that ticket recipients must meet the DOW waist-to-height ratio standard of less than 0.55, in addition to fulfilling all service-specific physical fitness test requirements. One defense official stated that the selection requirements send a clear message: “No fattys.” Another official familiar with the approval process confirmed that senior Pentagon leaders prefer DoD attendees to “look good” on camera during the event, reiterating, “Basically, no fat soldiers.”
The State's Optics Machine
Commanders have been directed to distribute tickets exclusively to “genuine UFC fans” and to prioritize selecting junior enlisted and junior officers. The Pentagon guidance also recommends recruiting attendees who reside outside the nation’s capital. This strategic selection ensures a specific visual representation for the event, utilizing the labor and physical presence of junior service members to project a desired image for the state.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth articulated a broader vision for the military last October, stating in a speech at Marine Base Quantico, Virginia, that “There will be no ‘fat troops’ or ‘fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.’” The current selection criteria for the White House UFC event align with this directive, demonstrating an intense focus on physical fitness that extends to public appearances orchestrated by the state.
This event is not an isolated incident of the state managing its public image through its personnel. The Pentagon has previously tightly orchestrated the optics of President Trump’s appearances with U.S. troops. At a prior visit to Ft. Bragg, soldiers were handpicked for the audience based on their political leanings and physical appearance. The troops ultimately selected to be visible to cameras behind President Trump were almost exclusively male. The Pentagon declined to comment on the guidance regarding the upcoming UFC event.
Who Bears the Cost
The requirement for service members to cover their own travel and lodging expenses for an event where their presence is curated for state optics highlights the ongoing commodification of military labor. Junior enlisted and junior officers, often with fewer financial resources, are expected to bear these costs to participate in an event designed to bolster the image of the executive and military leadership. This arrangement ensures that the state benefits from the visual display of its personnel without incurring the full financial responsibility for their participation, effectively extracting value from their service beyond their official duties.