A hulking superstructure is taking over the White House lawn for Donald Trump’s UFC cage match, coinciding with the president’s 80th birthday and marking the first-ever private sports event held there.
Crews have finished installing a 92-foot-tall “Claw” above the octagon-shaped stage for UFC’s Freedom 250, surrounded by arena-style seating and plastered with brand names and company logos, including Polymarket and Bud Light.
The event — in tandem with a White House-backed celebration of the nation’s 25th anniversary — will hold more than 4,000 people, and a nearby park is expected to hold more than 120,000 visitors for a watch party.
A federal lawsuit threatened to derail the event before it started. The last-minute lawsuit accused the president’s “deeply corrupt” event gives the UFC “unfettered access” to turn public landmarks into profitable billboards.
UFC committed $60 million 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,” officials say.
Analysis: Trump eclipsing America 250 with his own birthday celebration is exactly what we deserve
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Lawsuit accuses Trump of ‘volcano of corruption’
A federal judge is weighing whether to issue a temporary restraining order that would stop Sunday’s cage match and block the UFC from using the White House and Lincoln Memorial as a backdrop for a for-profit sporting event, the first ever on White House grounds.
Inside the 11th hour legal battle:
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Look inside the UFC Freedom 250 octagon on the White House lawn
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.
First look inside the UFC octagon on the White House lawn ahead of fight
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