The South Lawn has hosted Easter egg rolls, state arrivals and countless presidential helicopter departures. This week, it got a fighting cage.
A massive arena now looms over the White House grounds, the iconic UFC octagon at its center, thousands of seats fanning out around it and rows of standing areas in the back. Down at the Ellipse, a giant stage with jumbotrons has been erected for an overflow watch party where tens of thousands of fans are expected to gather Sunday. Sponsors — Bud Light, Crypto.com, Polymarket, a nicotine pouch brand, a blockchain company, a grill manufacturer, a personal-injury law firm and more — line the rails of the ring.
And beside it all, partially obscured but impossible to miss: the construction site for a new East Wing ballroom — an ongoing project the White House would rather you not photograph. (At a walkthrough of the UFC setup on Thursday, one Secret Service officer made a reporter delete an iPhone photo of it on the spot.)
On Sunday, all of it comes to a head. UFC Freedom 250 — formally billed as a celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, less formally as President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday party — will take place, with Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje headlining a card of fighters.
It is, by any measure, a strange thing to do to the White House. Here’s how it came together.
Wednesday, June 10
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira poses for photographs with two championship belts during the UFC Freedom 250 Media Day at the JW Marriott Hotel.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
No. 1 UFC heavyweight fighter Ciryl Gane answers questions during the UFC Freedom 250 Media Day at the JW Marriott Hotel.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria poses for photographs at the UFC Freedom 250 Media Day at the JW Marriott Hotel.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Thursday, June 11
Construction continues on the UFC “Claw” and the octagon fighting ring on the South Lawn of the White House. Strobe lights lined along the “Claw” are expected to light up at night for a more dramatic look during the event. At the media preview of the arena, far-right commentator Jack Posobiec was heard saying: “It’s literally Vegas.”
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Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
A visitor takes a photo from the Washington Monument as workers construct a UFC fighting ring on the South Lawn of the White House. To the right of the White House South Lawn, partially blocked by the visitor’s hand, is what used to be the White House East Wing — now a construction site of the new White House ballroom.
Daniel Heuer / Bloomberg via Getty Images
The UFC octagon and fighting arena during a media preview ahead of a planned UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.: Some of the event’s sponsors can be seen on the rails of the octagon ring — including Bud Light, Crypto.com, Polymarket, a nicotine pouch brand, a blockchain company, a grill manufacturer, a personal-injury law firm and more. The floor of the ring, which typically touts more sponsors, was covered up during the preview.
Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Friday, June 12
Fans attend the UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference at the Lincoln Memorial.
Ed Mulholland / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Mixed martial artist Daniel Cormier, left, and UFC commentator Jon Anik at the UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference.
Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Soorin Kim is a White House producer with MS NOW.