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Construction underway for UFC Freedom 250
Workers have started assembling an octagonal fighting cage on the White House South Lawn ahead of next month's UFC event marking 250 years of American independence.
Steel arches and staging areas are being erected to form a wire-mesh enclosure surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, according to visuals shared online.
Event details and scale
Scheduled for 14 June, UFC Freedom 250 will feature two championship bouts: Brazil's Alex Pereira versus France's Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, and Georgia's Ilia Topuria against interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
The UFC has allocated $60 million (£44.3 million) for the project, which President Donald Trump described as the "biggest event" in the promotion's history.
Ticket distribution and access
Of the 4,300 spectators expected on the South Lawn, most will be military personnel. An additional 85,000 free tickets will be available for the public to watch at nearby Ellipse Park, with no general sale announced.
"I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,"
President Donald Trump
VIP guests can secure "high roller" packages, reportedly priced at $1.5 million each, according to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. The UFC has stated it will not profit from the event.
White House transformations under Trump
This marks the first professional live sporting event held on White House grounds. Previous administrations hosted recreational activities, but none at this scale.
Since returning to office, Trump has overseen several renovations, including gold accents in the Oval Office, a patio replacing the Rose Garden, a refurbished Lincoln Bedroom bathroom, and the demolition of the East Wing to build a new ballroom.
Long-term investment
TKO Group Holdings, the UFC's parent company, framed the event as a strategic move. President Mark Shapiro called it "an investment for the long term."
