UFC Freedom 250 press conference LIVE: Lincoln Memorial to host first event of controversial White House fight weekend – UK Times

The fights themselves have not proven the only controversial part of this week.

Lincoln Memorial visitors were met with temporary fencing, stage lights, large monitors and crews preparing to turn the historic location into a UFC press conference site.

The National Mall was bustling with busy crews moving equipment that slightly obstructed the view of the Reflecting Pool from the top of the Lincoln Memorial stairs this week, according to photos posted online Tuesday evening.

“It’s awful,” Trudy Rumbaugh, a visitor from Vermont, told DC News Now. “It detracts from the beauty of the monuments. And it’s obstructive.”

The big news of the day is that, as Alex Woodward writes, “the fights are on”.

A federal judge has rejected an attempt to block this weekends bouts from taking place, after a lawsuit accused the administration of a “deeply corrupt” scheme to line the pockets of his allies.

A last-minute federal lawsuit accused the Trump administration of giving the UFC “unfettered access” to turn public landmarks into profitable billboards.

UFC has committed $60m to the event, according to court filings. The event is expected to draw multi-million dollar sponsorships as well as revenue through a broadcast agreement with Paramount +, a streaming platform operated by Trump allies.

White House officials say the UFC is covering costs for the unprecedented production, but several federal agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower”.

The UFC has said tonight’s press conference will begin at 8.15pm ET, which is 1.15am BST on Saturday morning.

Saturday evening will then bring the ceremonial weigh-ins, also at the Lincoln Memorial, before the fights themselves take place on the South Lawn on Sunday.

Follow live updates from the “UFC Freedom 250” press conference, right here.