Could the UFC’s White House event be more than a one-off?
As construction continues on the UFC’s makeshift arena on the White House’s South Lawn, U.S. President Donald Trump remains all-in on the June 14 event. Trump proposed Wednesday on TikTok making the towering lighting grid and cage setup for the show — known colloquially as “The Claw” — a fixture on the South Lawn well beyond the first-of-its-kind fight night later this month.
Trump even compared the structure to France’s famed Eiffel Tower.
Said the U.S. President:
“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889, it was built. It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair, and then they said, ‘You know, we sort of like it. Let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ And then they said, ‘Let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer.’ Well, they never took it down.
“And, you know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people. It’s gonna have the big UFC fight on June 14, and I’m looking at it, and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”
It remains unclear whether Trump is serious or simply trolling critics of the event.
The UFC’s White House showcase — officially named UFC Freedom 250 — takes place on Trump’s 80th birthday, as well as Flag Day in the United States. The show features a seven-fight card headlined by a title unification match between UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Also highlighted on the card is former two-division champion Alex Pereira’s pursuit of history against Ciryl Gane in the co-main event. Already a former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion, “Poatan” challenges Gane for the UFC interim heavyweight title, seeking the claim of becoming the first-ever three-division UFC champion.