The White House Transforms South Lawn into UFC Arena for Trump's Birthday
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
WASHINGTON — From a distance, it looks more like a UFO than a UFC event. It might be the kind of craft that would transport aliens to the White House to force a meeting with the U.S. leader. But up close, you can see the contours of the eight-sided cage, 30 feet in diameter, carefully designed like the iconic Octagon of the mixed martial arts league. A stop sign placed on one of its edges, with metal mesh sides and padded corners adorned with logos from various sponsors: Morgan & Morgan, Bud Light, Dodge Ram, Corona Extra, and Polymarket, identified as the world's largest prediction market. Above it towers The Claw, a four-sided structure rising over 90 feet in the air, featuring lights, speakers, thick cables, and four giant screens for fans not sitting right next to the Octagon to follow the fights below. Think more of a four-sided metal claw trying to grab stuffed animals in an arcade than the claws of a house cat; hence the extraterrestrial appearance. Surrounding all this are bleachers filled with gray folding chairs forming a temporary arena with a capacity for over 4,000 people for the seven UFC fights scheduled for Sunday to commemorate President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 'Very appealing to a lot of people' For those not fans of the UFC, all this might seem bewildering under any circumstances. But the temporary arena nearly completely covers the South Lawn of the White House, where Marine One usually lands to transport the president on trips out of town and where crowds of children run across the grass during the traditional Easter egg hunt each spring. More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of work have gone into building the arena, according to a court document filed by the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn and is contesting a lawsuit aimed at blocking the event. The White House claims the UFC is covering the costs, although the document notes that seven agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration — have 'allocated significant resources and personnel.' Fighters, their entourages, and various support staff are expected to occupy the main entrance and part of the West Wing when they are not competing. However, they will enter the arena through curtained hallways leading to the Octagon. They, as well as attendees at Sunday’s show, will have prime views of the executive residence of the White House and its historic Truman Balcony on one side, and the Washington Monument rising in the distance on the other. All of this will be accentuated by rotating spotlights and perhaps even the sweat and blood shed by fighters as they battle each other. The tight pre-event schedule includes a press conference on Friday night at the Lincoln Memorial with UFC President Dana White and the fighters. There will also be a ceremonial weigh-in for the fighters on Saturday at the Ellipse, a park near the White House where organizers expect over 120,000 visitors to watch Sunday night’s fights on giant screens after obtaining free tickets through a lottery. Stunt athlete Travis Pastrana is also set to perform a backflip on an ATV over the White House lawn as part of the pre-show. Trump has described the Octagon and The Claw as something 'very appealing to a lot of people.' He has even suggested that the temporary structure could become permanent, like the Eiffel Tower, which he noted was originally built as part of the 1889 World's Fair and was never taken down. Only the president knows how serious that suggestion really is. The fights will go on rain or shine, despite the lack of coverage. Work on the arena began on May 20 and has continued for weeks. During a media tour on Thursday, construction noises could be heard, especially sanding and hammering. Large cranes were transporting materials overhead, although that was for the $400 million ballroom Trump is building nearby, not for the UFC event. The remaining grass around the arena, on the other sides of the White House, has been equipped with additional lighting. But the grass that normally grows between the White House and the start of the arena bleachers is gone; only dusty earth remains that will need to be reseeded when all this is over, unless the president really decides to leave the arena installed permanently. There is also a large Freedom 250 logo located between the White House and the arena. Nearby, workers removed yellow tables and umbrellas from Trump’s renovated Rose Garden and were pressure washing that area, as well as the colonnade leading to the Oval Office, in preparation for the fights. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a cooperation agreement with the UFC that will unite both parties to offer combat training, health and nutrition programs, as well as promote teamwork and leadership among youth worldwide. 'We are very polarized,' Rubio said. 'There are only a handful of things that bring people together in one place and at the same time, united by their interest in something. We need more of that.' Later on Thursday, teams began testing the sound system, generating a deep rumble — and sometimes unsettling bass notes — throughout the West Wing. During a subsequent event in the Oval Office, the music from the garden was loud enough for the 1970s hit 'Boys Are Back in Town' to play in the background while Trump spoke. Sunday’s event is set to start at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. As night falls, teams will illuminate The Claw with red, white, and blue colors, and the mass of lights will project images that will make it seem as if the entire structure is wrapped in a rotating pattern of stars and stripes. The weather forecast predicts hot and humid conditions, with a chance of thunderstorms. The bottom of The Claw tower has a top cover that should keep fighters reasonably dry in case of rain, and Trump is likely to watch the event from a protected and covered area. But everyone else will almost certainly get wet. White has promised that not even an intense thunderstorm — when The Claw could become a prime target for lightning — would stop the show. 'I don’t care if it snows,' White said.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
