Oct 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on

Sunday that a previously announced Ultimate Fighting

Championship event at the White House will take place on June 14

next year, which will be the president's 80th birthday.

He made the announcement during a speech at Naval Station

Norfolk to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S.

Navy.

Trump in July had announced that a UFC event would take

place at the White House in 2026, but did not give a date.

He counts UFC President Dana White as a close friend and

considers fans of the sport part of his political base, although

their ties long predate Trump's presidency.

White this week told the Sports Business Journal that the

UFC will spend $700,000 to replace the South Lawn grass at the

White House after the event.

Since becoming president, Trump has been a regular attendee

at UFC fights, most recently attending one in New Jersey in

June. But the relationship between Trump and White goes back to

2000, when the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was one of the

few U.S. venues willing to host UFC events at the time.

TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC, did

not immediately respond to a request for comment.