“The Claw” is officially ready.
Construction crews for weeks have been working hastily on the White House grounds. And, no, not because of the demolished East Wing.
President Donald Trump for his 80th birthday has planned an Ultimate Fighting Championship card Sunday on the South Lawn, where a temporary mixed martial arts venue was built to host his 4,000 expected guests. The preparations and planning are expected to cost $60 million.
Looming over the top of the ring – or “Octagon” as it’s called in the sport due to its distinctive shape – is the four-sided arched structure known as “the Claw” that rises 90 feet and features lights, speakers and screens for fans not close enough to the action. Draped from the arches are American flags – the stars and stripes larger than life.
The matches are just part of the festivities over the weekend in what’s being called the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest. Here’s what to know.
What Are the Details of the UFC Fight?
The celebration will kick off on Friday with a UFC Freedom 250 press conference at the Lincoln Memorial at 8:15 p.m. at which the 14 participating athletes will face off for the first time.
Saturday begins Day One of the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest. The event will include “immersive fan experiences, celebrity appearances, meet-and-greets, and live music,” starting at 3:30 p.m. on the Ellipse, according to the Freedom 250 website.
At 8:30 p.m., the fighters will take part in a ceremonial weigh-in – a pre-fight promotional event at which combatants step on a scale in front of fans. The Zac Brown Band will perform after the weigh-in.
Sunday will continue with Day Two of the fan fest, ending with a live watch party of the UFC card at 8 p.m. The event will be hosted by Dana Whitepresident and chief executive officer of the UFC and a longtime Trump supporter.
Who Is Organizing the Event?
A foundation called Freedom 250 is organizing Trump’s birthday events. The foundation began via an executive order that Trump signed at the beginning of his second term, in conjunction with the creation of the “Salute to America 250 Task Force.”
Trump debuted Freedom 250 in a video message in December, calling it a “public-private partnership” to plan events for the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday.
Freedom 250 is separate from America 250. America 250 is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group created by Congress in 2016 and commissioned to help orchestrate the celebration of the 250th anniversary.
While Freedom 250 does not have to disclose its donors, it has identified ExxonMobil, John Deere and Northrop Grumman as some partners of the organization. It has also partnered with agencies in the federal government.
“Working with states, companies, and organizations across the country, we will renew the patriotism, pride and pioneering of America and lay the groundwork for the next 250 years of independence and freedom,” Trump said.
Freedom 250 is at the helm of several major events in Washington this summer, including the Great American State Fair, the Salute to America fireworks show and the Patriot Game.
While it is not clear who is behind the organization’s day-to-day operations, Trump is the chairperson and Vice President JD Vance is the vice chairperson of the task force.
Why Is the Event Considered Controversial?
While the Claw was created as a temporary structure for Trump’s birthday celebration, the president has hinted at it staying around longer.
Trump posted a TikTok video on June 2 with the caption: “MAYBE WE’LL NEVER EVER TAKE IT DOWN.”
He discussed the origin of the Eiffel Tower in France and how it was built for the World’s Fair in 1889. It was supposed to be taken down 20 years after its construction, but it was decided that the structure would remain.
“And, you know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people,” Trump said. “It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14, and I’m looking at it – and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”
Trump later said his remarks were “jokingly said,” reassuring the public that the structure would come down after the fight.
The lawsuit argues that the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service needed congressional approval to host a private sporting event on public property and are violating federal law, according to ESPN.
The lawsuit goes on to argue that UFC Freedom 250 is not being run by an executive department or agency and does not meet the America 250 special event exemption, according to ESPN. The lawsuit said special events are not allowed at the Lincoln Memorial other than President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The pair felt that Trump was hijacking some of the capital’s most sacred sites for a commercial event for personal interests.
A federal judge on Friday rejected a motion to block the White House from holding the UFC fight. Judge Amit P. Mehta wrote that it was not clear that the Virginia residents’ interests outweighed the money and time people had contributed to the event. The Sunday fight will remain intact.
Here Is Who Will Be Fighting:
Seven mixed martial arts matches are scheduled.
- Lightweight title bout: Ilia Topuria (Georgia) vs. Justin Gaethje (U.S.)
- Heavyweight interim title bout: Alex Pereira (Brazil) vs. Ciryl Gane (France)
- Bantamweight bout: Sean O’Malley (U.S.) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (Canada)
- Heavyweight bout: Josh Hokit (U.S.) vs. Derrick Lewis (U.S.)
- Lightweight bout: Mauricio Ruffy (Brazil) vs. Michael Chandler (U.S.)
- Middleweight bout: Bo Nickal (U.S.) vs. Kyle Daukaus (U.S.)
- Featherweight bout: Diego Lopes (Brazil) vs. Steve Garcia (U.S.)
After the fights end, Trump is scheduled to fly to France for the G7 Summit.