WASHINGTON — The White House and UFC welcomed dozens of stunned journalists Thursday to the site of the formerly grassy South Lawn, which has been transformed into a massive arena to host a seven-fight mixed martial arts showdown due to start at 8 p.m. Sunday.
President Trump, who is celebrating his 80th birthday the same evening, told The Post the fight will be an invigorating expo for Americans, who can watch the event on CBS or Paramount Plus, along with about 4,000 people who scored a spot for a coveted ticket.
“They’re the roughest people you’ll ever meet, I will tell you. I don’t know how they do it,” Trump said in a phone interview.
“They’re all champions, every one. You’re not going to believe it. If you haven’t seen it much, you’re not going to believe it,” added Trump, who has attended many UFC fights with his friend Dana White, CEO of the organization and developer of the “Freedom250” fight concept.
Trump and the winners of two championship matches will be presented with massive belts containing 60 carats of diamonds and 2 carats of rubies — the most expensive ever produced — according to a UFC press release, which doesn’t specify the cost.
The event ostensibly celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and its two championship fights are expected to be the most closely watched of the seven contests.
American Justin Gaethje will fight Ilia Topuria from the nation of Georgia for the lightweight title.
The famed Alex Pereira of Brazil and Ciryl Gane of France will vie for the interim heavyweight title.
All seven fights will have five rounds of 5 minutes — unless one of the men submits or is knocked unconscious. Non-championship matches usually have three rounds.
The Gaethje-Topuria match offers a clear potential moment for American national pride, but Trump held his cards close on who he’s rooting for, saying, “They’re all friends of mine.”
“It’s a great match, boy, they’re both great fighters, they’re all great,” the president told The Post.
“Pereira is the number one fighter in the world, he’s fighting,” Trump added.
“These tickets are selling for a fortune.”
The UFC’s octagon fighting ring, positioned roughly where the Marine One helicopter typically lands, is surrounded by elevated seating supported by massive under-floor scaffolding that corrects for the lawn’s slope.
Towering over the makeshift facility are two massive arches of steel holding lighting and limited protection from rain — nicknamed “The Claw” for the four-legged metal span’s resemblance to a vending-machine clasp used to retrieve toys.
Beneath the makeshift structure are small trailers for talent and event staff. One is labeled “Octagon Girls.”
Closer to the Washington Monument are large event tents and portable bathrooms flanking the lawn’s iconic fountain.
The 14 fighters are expected to enter the cage through the White House, though the precise choreography of their entrance likely will be a night-of surprise. They will pass a bell and drums on their way to the octagon.
Prime cage-side seats nearest to the action are expected to be filled by Trump and prominent guests, including members of his family and top White House aides.
White told TMZ in an interview that Trump was given 1,000 tickets to distribute.
Another 200 tickets were at the disposal of the UFC CEO, while 200 more were given out by Ari Emanuel, the CEO of UFC’s parent company TKO Group Holdings and brother of likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to President Barack Obama.
“The rest are all going to the military,” White said, suggesting roughly 2,600 tickets for military personnel.
However, a National Park Service Court filing on Tuesday cited a lower figure of “more than 1,000 members of our armed services.”
The precise breakdown may be altered by last-minute invites as desperate would-be attendees work their contacts to try to land a spot at the event that some Trump critics have likened to a scene out of “Idiocracy.”
Thirty-five journalists are expected to attend as members of an enlarged pool.
The Ellipse parkland immediately south of the White House lawn, meanwhile, can accommodate 120,000 additional people who sought tickets — though the weather in the notoriously hot and muggy capital may dictate turnout.
The event has a number of corporate sponsors, who have reportedly paid up to $1.5 million.
Budweiser, Polymarket and law firm Morgan & Morgan were among the sponsorswhose names were spotted Thursday.
The Park Service said in its court filing Tuesday that the UFC has spent “well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor” — responding to a lawsuit from the Public Integrity Project, which alleged a “corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain.”
Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of UFC parent company TKO, told The Hollywood Reporter that “we will not be making money on America’s 250th anniversary. This is an investment for the long term. This is about earned media.”
“We see this once-in-a-lifetime stage as a strategic investment to drive subscriber acquisition at Paramount+, massive audience sampling for the UFC overall and Super Bowl-like earned media across the globe,” Shapiro said.
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