White House Builds UFC Octagon for 250th Anniversary

The bout forms part of a wider series of functions commemorating the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence, signed on 4 July 1776. Other planned activities include an IndyCar race passing by the White House and the Great American State Fair on the National Mall. Trump has described the project as the "biggest event" the UFC has ever staged, promising "an arena right outside the front door of the White House." The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) reported that the UFC plans to spend about $60 million on the spectacle. Estimates of the lawn arena's capacity differ slightly: the BBC cites 4,300 spectators, most of them military personnel, while the Washington Times refers to a 5,000-seat arena. An additional 85,000 free tickets will be distributed for fans to watch the fights on screens at the nearby Ellipse Park.

Despite the lavish staging, the fight card has been criticised online as underwhelming, featuring only two championship contests. Brazil's Alex Pereira will face France's Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight crown, while Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria meets interim champion Justin Gaethje. Weigh-ins are scheduled to be held at the Lincoln Memorial. The octagon caps a wider building boom at the executive complex under Trump, who has already redesigned part of the Rose Garden, demolished the East Wing to make room for a planned ballroom, installed new flag poles on both lawns, and proposed a 250-foot arch near the Lincoln Memorial. The temporary cage, organisers say, will be dismantled after the event.