Construction has officially begun on the White House South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250, with the historic fight card now only weeks away.
The seismic showcase — set for Sunday, June 14 (Monday, June 15 AEST) at America’s most famous address — is beginning to take shape as crews transform the White House grounds into a temporary arena.
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US President Donald Trump is expected to preside over the spectacle as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th year of independence.
Photos taken over the weekend appear to show crews assembling lighting structures for the event, while massive cranes have also been spotted towering above the South Lawn.
And for those wondering what the finished product will look like, the UFC released fresh renderings over the weekend showcasing both the event setup and the accompanying Fan Fest at The Ellipse Park.
The images reveal the Octagon positioned on the South Lawn beneath a giant overhead structure known as “The Claw”, which will house the lighting and production rigging while still allowing the White House to remain visible in the background.
Around 4000 spectators are expected to be seated on the South Lawn, with attendance largely reserved for military personnel along with invited guests of the UFC and President Trump.
The UFC is constructing a massive viewing party for fans nearby at The Ellipse Park where fans can watch the event on big screens.
“There’s a park that’s right there,” Dana White told press earlier in the month.
“We’re gonna be ticketing 85,000 people in the Ellipse, and the tickets are free.
“We’ll announce how we’re gonna be giving them away soon, but you should plan on going to Washington, D.C., for this event.”
The park will have plenty to entertain fans including a concert with the Grammy-winning Zac Brown Band.
The festivities for the event will begin with a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial on June 12.
Bad weather could still be an issue, but White says they are planning for everything.
“Outdoors is just way too unpredictable,” White told Fox News.
“And we’ve gone over this, if it rains, we’re going. If it snows, we’re going.
“The only thing that will stop us is lightning. But we’re working with the military. So the military knows the weather 10 days out.
“They’ll notify us every two hours, 10 days out. Seven days out, they’ll notify us every hour.”
The historic card will feature seven fights all up, headlined by a blockbuster lightweight title unification showdown between reigning champ Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.
In the co-main event, two-division superstar Alex Pereira moves up to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight crown – with “Poatan” chasing history as he attempts to become the first three-division champ in history.
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The fighters met with Trump earlier this month, where Topuria thanked the President for the “opportunity to build the biggest event in sports history”.
Gaethje also expressed his gratitude for the invitation.
“It’s truly an honor,” he said.
“It’s awesome. It’s your birthday. Awesome. It’s Flag Day. Wonderful to represent this country.”