France Postpones International G7 Summit to Avoid Competing with Donald Trump’s Birthday UFC Event

President Donald Trump’s upcoming 80th birthday celebration appears to have influenced the schedule of the G7 summit.

Politico reported Friday, Jan. 9, that France has rescheduled the annual Group of Seven gathering to avoid overlapping with Trump’s plans for June 14.

France is hosting this year’s meeting in Evian-les-Bains, bringing together leaders from Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. The summit was originally set for June 14–16, but it has now been moved to June 15–17.

In a statement to Politico, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office did not reference Trump’s planned UFC event at the White House, saying the change was simply “the result of our consultations with G7 partners.”

A White House official said the shift reflects how important Trump’s attendance is to America’s allies, noting that partners viewed his presence at the summit as essential and adjusted the dates to fit the U.S. president’s schedule.

In 2025, Trump marked his birthday — which coincides with Flag Day — with a major military parade in Washington, D.C., also tied to the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

Trump has said his 2026 birthday will be even more unconventional. In an Oct. 5 speech at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, he announced plans to host a UFC fight on the White House grounds as part of broader celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary.

“On June 14 next year, we’re gonna have a big UFC fight at the White House, right at the White House, on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said during the speech.

The month before, the White House shared a mock-up showing an octagon and bleacher-style seating planned for the event, with the caption, “SEE YOU ON THE SOUTH LAWN @UFC.”

Speaking at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in July 2025, Trump again highlighted his long relationship with UFC president and CEO Dana White while discussing the idea of staging a fight at the White House.

Trump also attended multiple UFC events during the 2024 campaign season, including a March 2024 card in Miami where the crowd chanted an anti–Joe Biden slogan. In November 2024, he and Elon Musk posted photos from UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden alongside White, Kid Rock and others.

White recently discussed the event’s planning during an appearance on CBS Mornings with Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Vladimir Duthiers on Jan. 8, saying the logistics had been finalized.

According to White, the plan is to host roughly 5,000 people on the White House lawn. He also described using the nearby Ellipse to accommodate a much larger crowd — potentially up to 85,000 — with big screens, staging and music throughout the day. White said the intent is to create a weeklong slate of activities for fight fans in Washington, culminating with what he called a one-of-a-kind event at the White House.

White added that the fighters, who have not yet been announced, are expected to walk from the Oval Office to the Octagon. When asked whether Trump would join that ceremonial walk, White said he couldn’t confirm details, but added that the president would be in attendance.