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Country music singer Zac Brown defended his upcoming performance at the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House this weekend.
Brown, best known as the lead singer of the Zac Brown Band, confirmed on "The Pat McAfee Show" Wednesday that he plans to perform the national anthem for the event alongside the Marine Band on Sunday.
He denied on Wednesday having any political concerns about performing at the White House under President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump is hosting a UFC match on the White House grounds to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
"Man, I’m there for the troops, man," Brown said. "I’m there to honor America. This is patriotism, not politics for me. I mean, f--- all the division. I don’t believe in that. I love this country. I love all the people that have sacrificed so that I can live my American dream and that everyone that lives here gets a chance to do that if they work hard and make the right decisions. So it doesn’t have a place in politics for me."
Brown added he had heard approximately 8,000 service members would also be attending the event and felt "honored" as a fan of UFC to be given the opportunity.
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"I’m so excited for this weekend," Brown said. "And it’s history, man, getting to be part of American history, man. Having the first sporting event that’s on the lawn of the White House. I mean, it’s an honor."
Zac Brown will perform the national anthem at the UFC Freedom 250 event. (Rick Kern/Getty Images for Uber)
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and UFC for comment.
Preparations for the UFC match have been underway on the South Lawn of the White House for weeks, including the installation of a roughly 90-foot-tall steel arch, dubbed the "claw." The match is set for June 14 to coincide with Flag Day as well as Trump's 80th birthday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding.
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Over the weekend, The Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Virginia residents in an effort to block the event, claiming it will interfere with the White House and National Mall area while describing its setup as "hideous."
A lawsuit is attempting to halt the match set for this Sunday. (Scott Taetsch/Zuffa LLC)
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Fox News' Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @lmkornick.
