On June 14, the South Lawn of the White House will host not an easter egg roll or a turkey pardon, but rather a series of fights in a caged 92-foot tall Octagon, constructed and hosted by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Organizers of the UFC Freedom 250 event say the fights are meant to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, but they also coincide with President Donald Trump’s 80th Birthday.Â
The fight card constructed by UFC’s President and CEO Dana White, a long-time Trump ally, is headlined by a lightweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje and an interim heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
The fights will unfold on a massive stage constructed on the White House’s South Lawn, with approximately 4,000 spectators in attendance. Another 80,000 are expected to watch from the nearby Ellipse. UFC fans at home will also be able to stream the event live or online.
UFC Freedom 250 has been the subject of multiple controversies, much of it relating to the decision to allow the privately-held UFC to host an event on public land. A federal lawsuit filed this month by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents called the event “deeply corrupt” and alleged that several federal rules and regulations were violated by the Department of Interior and the National Park Service in order to organize the event.
Despite the suit, the fight appears set to move forward. Ahead of Sunday’s fight, the UFC has scheduled a news conference for Friday night in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and an official weigh-in of the players on Saturday at the Ellipse.
Here’s how you can watch the historic UFC fight.
Where is it streaming? When does it start?
UFC Freedom 250 is exclusively streaming on Paramount+, where all UFC fights usually stream, and will begin at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. It will also be broadcast live by CBS.
Can I attend the event?
About 4,000 attendees were invited to watch the event in person at the White House. Mixed martial arts fans who signed up in advance will have access to the watch event at the 52-acre Ellipse park just south of the White House. Those tickets are free, and White confirmed that about 85,000 tickets were made available. The 4,000 attendees at the fight on the South Lawn will be mostly military, according to White.
How to watch the other weekend events
The UFC press conference will take place in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, June 12, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET, and is expected to be streamed on the UFC’s YouTube channel or website. The weigh-in, set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, will also stream on the UFC’s YouTube channel.
