The White House South Lawn has officially been turned into a makeshift Ultimate Fighting Championship arena, with a massive, 600-ton steel arch erected above a red, white and blue octagon and a limited number of temporary stadium seating.
Reporters previewed the setup for UFC Freedom 250 Thursday morning ahead of the cage fight, which is to take place Sunday, June 14 – on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Videos and photos from under the 92-foot arch show the details that UFC installed a large red, white and blue “UFC Freedom 250” sign on temporary flooring to welcome attendees to the outdoor stadium that will hold roughly 4,300 people.
Only a select few people will be permitted to sit ringside, likely Dana White, the CEO and president of UFC, Trump and the president’s closest allies. Members of the public interested in viewing the fight, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, will be able to stream it on Paramount+, or locals can secure tickets to a watch party occurring on the Ellipse.
But here is a look at what ringside will look like for the big event:
Reporters got an inside look at the setup for UFC Freedom 250 set to take place at the White House this weekend (Getty)
The octagon features branding from companies that partner with UFC, such as Bud Light and Polymarket, in addition to the event’s sponsors, Crypto.com and Ram Trucks (AFP/Getty)
While only 4,300 people will be able to attend in person, those hoping to watch the cage match can stream it on Paramount+ (AP)
Fighters will have a clear view of the south side of the White House while competing in the octagon on the South Lawn (AP)
Attendees will be welcomed to the fight with a large “UFC Freedom 250” sign decked out in red, white and blue to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary – although the event is occurring on President Trump’s birthday (Getty)
The temporary stadium can hold roughly 4,300 people, roughly 1,000 of whom are exclusively invited by President Trump, 200 invited by White and another 200 invited by Ari Emanuel, chair of UFC’s parent company, and another 1,200 will be active duty service members (AP)
The event, set to begin at 8 pm Sunday, June 14, will be live-streamed on Paramount+ or locals to Washington, D.C., can buy free tickets to watch the cage match on the Ellipse (AP)
Attendees seated higher up at UFC Freedom 250 may also be able to view the ongoing construction occurring on the White House ballroom, which a federal judge has temporarily paused (AP)
The small temporary arena has several monitors hung around to ensure everyone can see the action in the octagon (AP)
