The
UFC White House card could lose its official status over a $100
permit.
The
UFC will host a one-of-a-kind card at the White House on
President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14. The card billed as
Freedom Fights 250 is a tribute to America’s 250th year of
independence.
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However, the card now faces the threat of losing its official
status over a $100 permit. The UFC needs a $100 permit to sanction
the event. However, the chairman of the District of Columbia Combat
Sports Commission, Andrew Huff, claims that UFC officials have
refused to obtain the permit as the event is taking place on
“federal land.” Huff says that the fights would be unsanctioned
without the permit and wouldn’t go down in the fighters’ official
records.
Setting a Bad Precedent
“We don’t know anything,” Huff told the Washington Post. “Every promoter in the
District of Columbia should be, and is, held to the same standard,
whether you’re putting on a small wrestling show or a major
event.
“I’m concerned about precedent. What happens when someone puts on a
boxing match in Malcolm X Park? They don’t need to get us
involved?”
The commission also requires fighters, managers and promoters to
obtain occupational licenses to participate. Fighters are also
required to submit their medical records and undergo medical
examination by a doctor assigned by the commission. While the UFC
has its own medical team, Huff believes they might not be
completely unbiased.