Preparations for the 80th birthday celebration of U.S. President Donald Trump are in full swing, and as part of the festivities, the American leader will host a UFC event at the White House on Sunday, June 14.
The iconic South Lawn, typically used by presidents to board the Marine One helicopter for trips to summits, funerals, and conflict zones, has been transformed with an octagonal fighting cage surrounded by thousands of seats arranged in a mini-coliseum for a mixed martial arts (MMA) showcase, according to The Guardian.
Dominating the venue is a 28-meter steel structure weighing 600 tons, dubbed “The Claw” by organizers due to its resemblance to the alien tripods featured in the 2005 film War of the Worlds.
A tennis court was built at the White House in 1902, and the grounds also feature two bowling alleys, while former President Barack Obama added a basketball court in 2009. However, no major professional sporting event has ever been held on White House grounds before, the British newspaper noted.
According to UFC President Dana White, the extraordinary event was Trump’s own idea, further strengthening the president’s ties to the promotion, which has amassed a massive fan base. Critics, however, have long described mixed martial arts as a “blood sport.”
The event will be tightly controlled, with the stands expected to be filled largely by members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were required to meet strict physical fitness, height, and weight standards.
As crews spent the week erecting scaffolding and vendor tents on the lawn, the final countdown to the “UFC Freedom 250” tournament was somewhat overshadowed by ominous weather forecasts and a legal attempt to block the event entirely.
UFC has never staged a fully open-air event in its 33-year history. The organization’s only previous outdoor venture, held in Abu Dhabi in 2010, took place at a partially covered venue. The White House setup, by contrast, has no roof at all, the report noted.
The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday evening currently indicates a “likely” chance of thunderstorms in Washington around the time of the main event. UFC has deployed two meteorologists on-site, using data from separate sources and providing hourly weather updates.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed last weekend by the public-interest group Project Integrity sought an emergency injunction to halt the event. The suit argued that the administration improperly relied on rules intended for federally organized celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary to justify an event that UFC leadership itself acknowledged was conceived by Trump. A judge, however, dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday, according to The Guardian.
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The lawsuit also cited financial disclosure records showing that Trump purchased up to $50,000 worth of stock earlier this year in TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC.
Despite the legal challenge, the administration continued preparations, promoting what it described as the virtues of UFC, ranging from rigorous anti-doping measures to international diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a public-private partnership between the State Department and UFC.
Rubio described the promotion as the “United Nations of fighting,” arguing that UFC events are among the few places where people from different backgrounds come together around a shared interest.
Attention now turns to Sunday night’s card, which will feature seven fights on the South Lawn. The main event will see undefeated Spanish lightweight champion Ilia Topuria face interim champion Justin Gaethje of the United States.
Another featured bout will pit Alex Pereira against Ciryl Gane, with the winner being crowned interim heavyweight champion.
Approximately 4,300 spectators are expected to attend, including around 1,200 seats reserved for active-duty military personnel. According to a Pentagon memo, selected service members were required to meet branch-specific fitness standards. The memo also emphasized that preference should be given to “true UFC fans” and noted that military attendees would be responsible for covering their own travel expenses.
The remaining tickets were allocated to the president, UFC executives, and a lengthy list of donors, lobbyists, and members of the U.S. Congress, The Guardian reported.
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Source: Euronews.rs Foto: Bela kuća/ wikipedia