One of Donald Trump’s most loyal defenders was apparently caught off guard by reports the president set height and weight requirements for military personnel attending his White House UFC event.
When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins—whom Trump has labeled the “worst reporter”—whether there should be restrictions on which service members can attend next month’s UFC Freedom 250 event, Scott Jennings said he had been told by the White House that the report was “fake news.”
“I asked the White House point blank, is this true? And I was told, quote, ‘Fake news from The Washington Post,’” Jennings told Collins on Friday’s The Source.
A Friday report by The Washington Post found that the Pentagon is moving to recruit “hundreds of troops” to attend the June 14 cage-fighting event. Service members would be required to pay their own travel costs, wear their uniforms, and, according to one memo, “MUST MEET CURRENT WAIST-HEIGHT RATIO and current physical fitness standard.”
Yet Jennings—who has been open about his own weight-loss journey—insisted that The Post report was incorrect, even after Collins read aloud part of the memo stating that potential attendees must meet a “waist-to-height ratio standard of less than 0.55, as well as all service-specific physical fitness test requirements.”
“Well, look, I know the military has standards on physical fitness,” Jennings said. “Beyond that, I don’t know what to say about it other than the White House says they’re happy to have military members come to this awesome event at the White House.”
A White House spokesperson echoed Jennings in response to the alleged recruitment effort, telling the Daily Beast in a statement: “This will be one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary.”
The Military Times reported that, according to UFC CEO Dana White, roughly 1,200 tickets have been reserved for active-duty military members, while a further 4,000 tickets are set aside for celebrities and individuals handpicked by the Trump administration and UFC leadership.
Jennings said he did not understand the criticism of the event, adding that “Donald Trump is the modern Teddy Roosevelt” and noting that Roosevelt also held boxing matches at the White House.
Roosevelt boxed at the White House largely as a personal pursuit and part of his efforts to manage health issues. By contrast, Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event is planned as a celebration of his 80th birthday and American independence.
Despite a defense official reportedly telling CNN that “no fatties” would be included in the event from among military personnel, the president himself has just been urged to lose weight by his doctor. Trump recently underwent a medical check showing he now weighs 238 pounds, up 14 pounds from a year earlier, placing him in the overweight category.
Critics have accused Trump of misplaced priorities, arguing that he is reshaping parts of the White House to accommodate a temporary fight venue while ordinary Americans face rising gas prices amid the war with Iran.
Even UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump in 2024, has expressed skepticism about the event, describing the decision to stage it outdoors as “odd” and “kind of a gimmick”—a characterization Trump himself echoed, saying it would be a “good gimmick.”
