{"id":13653,"date":"2026-06-11T18:02:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=13653"},"modified":"2026-06-11T18:02:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:02:58","slug":"behind-the-scenes-of-white-houses-ufc-octagon-that-trump-boasts-will-host-the-roughest-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=13653","title":{"rendered":"Behind the scenes of White House&#8217;s UFC octagon that Trump boasts will host the &#8216;roughest people&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re the roughest people you\u2019ll ever meet, I will tell you. I don\u2019t know how they do it,\u201d Trump said in a phone interview.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The UFC is putting on a seven-fight event Sunday night at the White House. <span class=\"credit\">Andrew Thomas \/ CNP \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>About 4,000 people will watch the unprecedented match on President Trump\u2019s birthday. <span class=\"credit\">Andrew Thomas \/ CNP \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re all champions, every one. You\u2019re not going to believe it. If you haven\u2019t seen it much, you\u2019re not going to believe it,\u201d added Trump, who has attended many UFC fights with his friend Dana White, CEO of the organization and developer of the \u201cFreedom250\u201d fight concept.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Trump and the winners of two championship matches will be presented with massive belts containing 60 carats of diamonds and 2 carats of rubies \u2014 the most expensive ever produced \u2014 according to a UFC press release, which doesn\u2019t specify the cost.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>American Justin Gaethje will fight Ilia Topuria from the nation of Georgia for the lightweight title. <\/p>\n<p>The famed Alex Pereira of Brazil and Ciryl Gane of France will vie for the interim heavyweight title.<\/p>\n<p>All seven fights will have five rounds of 5 minutes \u2014 unless one of the men submits or is knocked unconscious. Non-championship matches usually have three rounds.<\/p>\n<p>The Gaethje-Topuria match offers a clear potential moment for American national pride, but Trump held his cards close on who he\u2019s rooting for, saying, \u201cThey\u2019re all friends of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a great match, boy, they\u2019re both great fighters, they\u2019re all great,\u201d the president told The Post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Trump and the winners of two title fights will receive ornate diamond-encrusted championship belts. <span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Fights will last up to five 5-minute rounds. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cPereira is the number one fighter in the world, he\u2019s fighting,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese tickets are selling for a fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The UFC\u2019s 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\u2019s slope.<\/p>\n<p>Towering over the makeshift facility are two massive arches of steel holding lighting and limited protection from rain \u2014 nicknamed \u201cThe Claw\u201d for the four-legged metal span\u2019s resemblance to a vending-machine clasp used to retrieve toys.<\/p>\n<p>Beneath the makeshift structure are small trailers for talent and event staff. One is labeled \u201cOctagon Girls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Closer to the Washington Monument are large event tents and portable bathrooms flanking the lawn\u2019s iconic fountain. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\n\u201cThe Claw\u201d is seen from the Rose Garden. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>White told TMZ in an interview that Trump was given 1,000 tickets to distribute. <\/p>\n<p>Another 200 tickets were at the disposal of the UFC CEO, while 200 more were given out by Ari Emanuel, the CEO of UFC\u2019s parent company TKO Group Holdings and brother of likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to President Barack Obama.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe rest are all going to the military,\u201d White said, suggesting roughly 2,600 tickets for military personnel.<\/p>\n<p>However, a National Park Service Court filing on Tuesday cited a lower figure of \u201cmore than 1,000 members of our armed services.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>UFC CEO Dana White, left, spearheaded and financed the event. <span class=\"credit\">Zuffa LLC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Trump hosted fighters Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, Justin Gaethje, and Ciryl Gane at the White House on May 06. <span class=\"credit\">Zuffa LLC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>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 \u201cIdiocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thirty-five journalists are expected to attend as members of an enlarged pool.<\/p>\n<p>The Ellipse parkland immediately south of the White House lawn, meanwhile, can accommodate 120,000 additional people who sought tickets \u2014 though the weather in the notoriously hot and muggy capital may dictate turnout. <\/p>\n<p>The event has a number of corporate sponsors, who have reportedly paid up to $1.5 million.<\/p>\n<p>Budweiser, Polymarket and law firm Morgan &amp; Morgan were among the sponsors whose names were spotted Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The Park Service said in its court filing Tuesday that the UFC has spent \u201cwell over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor\u201d \u2014 responding to a lawsuit from the Public Integrity Project, which alleged a \u201ccorrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mark Shapiro,\u00a0president and chief operating officer of UFC parent company TKO, told\u00a0The Hollywood Reporter that \u201cwe will not be making money on America\u2019s 250th anniversary. This is an investment for the long term. This is about earned media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe 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,\u201d Shapiro said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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