Yard White houses becomes an arena for MMA fights as part of the UFC championship, on the occasion of his birthday Donald Trump, the president of America, and the 250th anniversary of independence of the United States of America (USA). And Trump announces that the arena could remain permanently in that place.
Until the final decision is made whether the MMA arena will remain permanently, it is clear for now that in less than a week, blood will splatter in the White House courtyard on Trump's birthday.
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is a sport of mixed martial arts that combines techniques from different disciplines such as boxing, wrestling, judo and jiu-jitsu, and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is the largest and most famous world organization that organizes professional MMA fights.
It's not a joke after all.
When Donald Trump announced last summer in Iowa that a UFC fight would take place on the White House lawn, many thought he was joking.
"We will organize a UFC fight - imagine this - on the grounds of the White House," said the US president at the time, introducing the program to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
Less than a year later, the idea becomes a reality.
Photo: AP/Allison RobbertThe arena may remain permanently in the courtyard of the White House
Construction crews have been working for weeks to install the fighting cage on the South Lawn of the White House, where seven professional fights will be held on June 14. The historic building is now dominated by a huge arched structure for lighting and television production that the UFC calls "The Claw". The steel arches, about 27 meters high, are equipped with dozens of cameras and decorated with American flag motifs.
Work on this structure attracted attention in late May, when the "Claw" became visible above the White House briefing room. Today, it is almost impossible not to notice her even a few blocks away from the presidential residence.
The UFC arena is the latest in a series of construction projects that Trump is reshaping the White House complex. Since returning to power, he has added a series of gold details to the Oval Office, paved part of the famous Rose Garden and demolished the East Wing to build a grand ballroom in its place.
What will the program be like?
Organizers expect more than 90.000 people to attend the event when the fighters don the gloves and enter the Octagon. The fights will be the centerpiece of a multi-day program that takes place on US Flag Day and Trump's 80th birthday. Before the spectacle itself, socializing with current and former UFC fighters, a concert by the Zac Brown Band, as well as a ceremonial weighing of the competitors are planned.
Fights for championship belts are also on the program. In the main fight of the evening, the American Justin Gage will meet the Georgian Ilya Topuria in a match for the lightweight title, while the Brazilian Alex Pereira and the French Cyril Gan will fight for the interim heavyweight title. The fight card of the UFC Freedom 250 event features a total of eight American fighters.
Photo: AP/John McDonnellThe fights will mark Trump's 80th birthday and 250 years of US independence
Who pays for the arena?
The UFC is covering the cost of building the arena. Mark Shapiro, chairman of TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC, said the event -- including construction, fighter fees and fan gatherings -- will cost at least $60 million to run and the event will not turn a profit.
UFC president Dana White added that his organization will allocate about $700.000 to restore the turf on the South Lawn of the White House after the event.
Trump told reporters last month that the arena will have a capacity of 4.500 spectators, most of whom will be members of the U.S. military, while tickets will not be available to the general public. An additional 75.000 to 100.000 people will be able to watch the fights on large screens set up on the Ellipse, near the White House.
Arena as a permanent exhibit
Photo: AP/John McDonnellMany thought Trump was joking, but the construction proves otherwise
In the meantime, Trump also presented the idea that the arena should remain permanently placed in front of the White House. In a video posted on TikTok, he compared the project to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
"People don't know that the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 and was supposed to be taken down right after the World's Fair. Then they said, 'You know, we like it, let's leave it up a little longer,' and a little longer and a little longer. They never took it down," Trump said.
Speaking about the UFC arena, he added that something is being built that is "very attractive to a lot of people" and said that when he looks at the structure that is sprouting up in front of the White House, he thinks that "it may never be removed."
Source: Guardian/CCN
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