UFC arena under construction on White House lawn to mark Trump’s 80th birthday | West Coast
Construction is underway on the White House lawns for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena, which will host a cage match next month to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
The mixed martial arts fight is scheduled for June 14.
Photos of cranes and other construction equipment on the White House lawn on Tuesday show the beginning of temporary construction. Trump said the completed project will feature “a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.”
online renders Describe what the completed, fenced fighting area is expected to look like. The octagonal cage will be surrounded by a red, white and blue stage under a high arch featuring stars and stripes patterns and two large screens streaming the action live.
The cage and stage will be surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, including ringside space for a full marching band that can fill the entire stage with raucous music.
Trump first floated the idea of hosting a UFC fight at the White House during a speech in Idaho on July 4, 2025, when he announced festivities planned to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.
“Think of it as the White House grounds. We have a lot of land there,” he said, adding that initially it would be “a full-on challenge” with 20,000 to 25,000 people in attendance.
Trump in December in question The White House event would host “eight or nine championship fights – the biggest fights they’ve ever had.” But the number of fights expected to take place on the White House lawn has decreased, as has the size of the crowd. The fight card features two title fights: the lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje in the main event and the interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
Trump has long been a fan of mixed martial arts and is close friends with UFC president Dana White.
As construction began on the White House lawn, contestants at the Scripps National Spelling Bee milled around on Tuesday. After 15 years at a convention center in Maryland, the spelling bee moved to Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Families staying at the nearby JW Marriott would often walk across the Ellipse to get to the lounge, but due to construction there, families are taking a longer walk around. Rajeev Malhotra, a parent of one of the spellcasters, described the scene as “two very different forms of entertainment.”
Associated Press contributed reporting
