It’s just before eight o’clock on Thursday morning when, right above us, a lone US secret service agent suddenly appears on The White House roof.
Standing guard, he is both armed and anonymous.
UFC FREEDOM 250 | MONDAY 15 JUNE 10AM AEST | UFC Freedom 250 delivers a landmark night of fights from the White House, with Topuria vs Gaethje leading a stacked card celebrating America’s 250th anniversary | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
With a dark blue balaclava covering up his face.
Which is effectively the finishing touch to what feels like the greatest combat scene — or maybe, Streetfighter level — ever dreamt up.
For how else would you describe UFC Freedom 250?
This unmistakably American mass of steel that isn’t only painted up in Stars and Stripes, or framed by all four prongs of ‘The Claw’, but has that famed home of US President Donald Trump looming large from every angle.
All up, a $60 million celebration of fighting Americana.
And one Fox Sports Australia has now seen up close.
At the special invitation of UFC officials, a group of journalists were asked to meet at 5am on Thursday morning, before being bused to The White House, undergoing several security checks, and eventually getting to see, up close, what is undeniably an iconic South Lawn venue.
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But what really hits home when given the first exclusive look at Trump’s backyard fight club?
It has to be the incredible intimacy of the whole thing.
Sure, there will eventually be some 4000 people on the South Lawn on Sunday night.
But if UFC types told you the number was 400?
Well, looking around this particular morning you’d believe them.
Truly, it feels that cosy beneath ‘The Claw’.
Which is incredible given this remains an outdoor event in every sense.
And one which UFC White House producer Craig Borsari has told us remains at the mercy of rain, high winds, even potential lightning strikes that come within 13km.
Yet after a morning spent roaming The White House grounds, here are the six things we learned about what may be the most unique sporting location ever …
THE VENUE IS INCREDIBLY INTIMATE
It’s hard to describe exactly how compact the UFC White House venue feels up close.
On each side of the Octagon, tiered seating rises only seven rows high.
While even the highest point in the southern stand, where the seats looking back at The White House, the top spot is only 15 rows up.
Indeed, in the 30 minutes allotted to our group to look around, Fox Sports Australia walked to all points of the venue and, honestly, could not find one of the collapsable, black padded seats that offered anything but a crackin’ view.
And while there is no doubting the impressiveness of ‘The Claw’ — which rises over seven storeys into the air — beneath it feels every inch like your at a backyard birthday party.
So yes, this may be the most elaborate event in UFC history. One where even repairing the grass afterwards will cost $700,000.
Still, please know that you could lob a tennis ball from any seat here on the South Lawn and still land it inside the Octagon. Same as from inside the cage, even a duffed sand wedge would still hit The White House.
It’s all that close.
NO EXPENSE HAS BEEN SPARED
Up close, there is no doubting the impressiveness of ‘The Claw’ — which was constructed in Belgium, tested in Pennsylvania, weighs over 600 tonne and rises over seven storeys into the air.
Yet walking around the venue Thursday, it was impossible to miss the smaller details — like the protection cover over the Octagon mat.
Or the way silver stars have been embossed even into those silver stairs fighters will walk up to enter the ring.
Similarly, there is something incredibly special about heading to a sporting event where the US Secret Service checks over your passport before entry, while a sniffer dog checks your bag, which is then searched again by a separate agent.
Then upon entering the venue, you take a short walk up along a winding bitumen path that borders the famed White House Rose Garden, and then just past a corner of the building where inside sits The Oval Office.
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THIS IS A CELEBRATION IN EVERY SENSE
Undeniably, UFC Freedom 250 is not only a celebration of America, or even President Trump’s 80th birthday, but a nod to the incredible rise of a travelling fight show now worth upwards of US$12 billion.
Around the small venue too, there are also four large screens where, between fights, there will be videos shown that according to UFC president Dana White are themed around “the story of America”.
Apart from celebrity military members between fights, Borsari says the UFC has also produced a series of short films that celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States – based around such historical moments as signing the Declaration of Independence
“So it’s a very patriotic show between the fight action,” he said.
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“And it will also have a similar approach to what we did at The Sphere. The films will appear in between the live fights and, as a collection, there will be a cohesive narrative thread between all of them.
“But they are individual films that work in isolation as well. And that’s a big part of our storytelling tactic throughout the broadcast.”
RAIN COULD ABSOLUTELY STUFF THIS UP
While there is a small roof at The Claw’s apex, this remains an outdoor event in every sense.
“So we’ve had multiple conference calls about contingency planning, and where everything is doom and gloom,” Borsari grins.
“We’ve thrown up every single scenario you can imagine – thunder, lightning, rain coming in sideways, even what sort of winds would be required for us to evacuate.
“If there was light to moderate rain, I’d say we will try to forge ahead and complete the event.
“So long as the spectators and athletes are safe.
“But lightning is a fairly simple one — if there’s a lightning strike within eight miles of the Octagon, we need to evacuate the South Lawn.”
SECURITY, UNSURPRISINGLY, IS CRAZY
While details around security are obviously scant, there is no doubting that the South Lawn will have a huge presence on fight night.
Indeed, given jet lag had us out walking the streets before five o’clock earlier this week, we can tell you members of the National Guard are also everywhere, and at all hours, including dawn patrols at several key spots around the large black fence that completely encircles the entire White House complex and grounds.
It is understood those attending the event this weekend will have to arrive hours early to complete security checks.
There were also several media who were unable to attend Thursday’s White House visit after failing to complete the correct paperwork.
Says Borsari:“Security was the topic which, from the get go, has been discussed with our teams ad nauseum.
“It was and still is the focal point. United States Secret Service is tasked with securing the property
“They take it very seriously and so do we.
“So the way we’ve approached this is to be as detailed as we can with what we wanted to achieve in terms of the way the fighters enter the Octagon, the way the spectators enter the South Lawn, start times, positioning of power, TV trucks, everything.
“We’ve really given them the entire game plan so they could then spend some time with it, make any adjustments they needed to make, flag any areas that gave them pause … and that back n’ forth has gone on for months.”
UFC FREEDOM 250 | MONDAY 15 JUNE 10AM AEST | UFC Freedom 250 delivers a landmark night of fights from the White House, with Topuria vs Gaethje leading a stacked card celebrating America’s 250th anniversary | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
THE UFC CAN NOW HOST LITERALLY ANYWHERE
Asked if hosting a fight on the South Lawn means the UFC can now effectively go anywhere and Borsari concurs.
“Having spent the better part of a year planning this event,” he started, “and now really understanding all the things I never knew you needed to go through to pull something like this off … I can tell you our team is fantastic.
“So no matter what the challenge is, no matter what the location or what the intent is for a live event in the future, I would go into any scenario with this team confident we could pull it off.”