Construction of UFC fighting cage gets underway on White House South Lawn

Workers have begun erecting an octagonal cage on the South Lawn of the White House ahead of next month’s UFC Freedom 250 — one of several events planned to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship recently shared renderings of the temporary 5,000-seat arena, complete with a massive arch and seating area for an entire marching band, which will host a series of mixed martial arts fights on June 14 — President Trump’s 80th birthday.

Among the scheduled fights are an interim UFC heavyweight title bout between Brazil’s Alex Pereira and France’s Ciryl Gane, and a lightweight championship contest between Spanish-Georgian Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje.

A UFC fan fest will take place on the grounds of the nearby Ellipse, which can hold up to 80,000 people, who will be able to watch the matches on giant screens.

Last week, Trump said tickets to the free event were already in high demand.

“I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,” he said. “That’s gonna be something.”

UFC CEO Dana White, a prominent Trump supporter, said in a recent interview with the New Yorker that the event was the president’s idea.

“We should do a fight at the White House,” White recalled Trump telling him. “I think it would be great to have an event for America’s 250th.”

Other events surrounding the country’s July 4 semiquincentennial include an IndyCar race (Aug. 22-23) that will pass by the White House, and the Great American State Fair taking place June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall.

Trump also wants to build a permanent, 250-foot triumphal arch, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The structure, which would be built inside a traffic circle between the Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, received approval from the Commission of Fine Arts last week despite overwhelming public opposition.