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Luke Broadwater
Washington: The Ultimate Fighting Championship has released its latest rendering of the octagonal cage that officials are building at the White House for a fight scheduled on US President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
It depicts a star-spangled arch over the cage on the White House South Lawn, along with seating for thousands.
Construction for the fight on June 14, one of several major events planned for the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, is already under way. Trump is also planning a temporary IndyCar street-circuit race past landmarks, including the Washington Monument and the US Capitol, to take place in August.
Last week, Trump said the tickets for the UFC event were in high demand.
“I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,” he said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind UFC.”
Trump said the temporary arena would hold more than 4000 people. He said the White House Ellipse grounds would host a UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest, where 75,000 to 100,000 people could watch the fights for free.
Weigh-ins will take place at Lincoln Memorial, officials have said.
In a recent interview with The New Yorker, the UFC’s president, Dana White, said Trump brought up the idea of hosting a fight on the White House lawn. He said the two men were watching an event when Trump leant over to him and said, “We should do a fight at the White House.”
“And he’s like, ‘I think it would be great to have an event for America’s 250th,’” White recalled. “And so literally, that was a Saturday. On Monday, the White House started calling, saying, ‘Let’s start getting the logistics’.”
White said he had 200 tickets to the event to give out; Trump would give out 1000 tickets; Ari Emanuel, the chief executive of TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC, had 200 tickets; and the rest would be awarded to members of the US military.
Trump’s friendship with White has benefited both men. Before he ran for elected office, Trump allowed the UFC to hold fights at his properties at a time when the fledgling sport was rebuffed by many public figures and derided as “human cockfighting” by then senator John McCain.
In return, White has spoken in favour of Trump at the Republican National Convention, and was reportedly instrumental in convincing influential podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan to endorse him. The president often receives a hero’s welcome when attending mixed martial arts events.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the UFC event would be “one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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