Fight night on the South Lawn: A look inside Trump's White House UFC arena
The White House and UFC on Thursday gave dozens of journalists an inside look at the arena built for the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn. For the first time, people could see the caged octagon, the massive arc, and the arena where thousands of guests would be seated for a seven-fight mixed martial arts showdown on Sunday.
At the center lies the championship's signature octagon cage with wire-mesh sides and padded corners fitted with different sponsors' logos. Over the ring looms a four-sided arch, standing over 90 feet, housing all the lights, speakers, wiring, and four large screens for the fans seated next to the Octagon to follow the actions, as per the Associated Press. Surrounding the octagon are risers filled with gray folding chairs, which will form the temporary arena that is expected to seat 4,000-plus people for the event on Sunday to celebrate the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The main event will feature American fighter Justin Gaethje taking on Ilia Topuria from the nation of Georgia for the lightweight title. The other famed fight will be between Alex Pereira of Brazil and Ciryl Gane of France for the interim heavyweight title. Of the seven fights, the two title bouts will have five rounds of 5 minutes, unless the fighters knock out or submit to their opponents. The remaining five non-championship matches will have three five-minute rounds with the same rules. The Gaethje-Topuria match could offer a moment of American national pride, but when asked who he was supporting, he chose not to reveal his cards, saying, "It's a great match, boy, they're both great fighters, they're all great," as per the New York Post. On Sunday, the fighters and their entourages are expected to take over the driveway and part of the West Wing, and they'll enter the arena via curtained-off walkways.
Apart from the 4,000 live attendees, UFC will hold a screening at the Ellipse parkland immediately south of the White House lawn, for an estimated 85,000 additional people who sought tickets for the event. UFC will host a press conference and face-offs at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, and the ceremonial weigh-in for the fighters and other events will take place on Saturday at the Ellipse. Furthermore, the event schedule includes military bands, a performance by Zac Brown Band, Clydesdales, a Golden Knights flyover, and the fight card itself, all marked by a ten-minute fireworks finale.
According to court documents submitted by the Trump administration, the UFC events scheduled for the week and through the weekend are set to cost $60 million. This includes the food, the brand’s signature “octagon” cage, and the facilities for the crowd watching the event live on the South Lawn and via telecast at the Ellipse. While the White House says the UFC is covering the costs, the filing states that the seven government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, have "allocated significant resources and manpower."
