Celebrity Invites to White House’s Tacky UFC Event Revealed

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty ImagesDonald Trump’s White House UFC spectacle is shaping up less like a sporting event and more like a celebrity-packed birthday bash. A new behind-the-scenes report from Time magazine revealed the guest list for the June 14 South Lawn fight card includes comedian Adam Sandler, filmmaker Guy Ritchie, retired NFL star Tom Brady, actor Jared Leto, action star Jason Statham, wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and TV host Mario Lopez. UFC boss Dana White said at least 1,200 of the roughly 4,300 seats will go to active-duty military personnel, while the remaining tickets will be split between the White House, UFC, and parent company TKO. The event will also spill onto the nearby Ellipse, where organizers expect up to 85,000 fans for a viewing party and performance by the Zac Brown Band. Despite the hype, White admitted the UFC expects to lose around 30 million staging the event. Even Joe Rogan called it a “gimmick.” Trump embraced the label. “Life is a gimmick,” he told Time. The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.Read it at TimeRead more at The Daily Beast.