Donald Trump unveiled breathtaking renderings of the UFC’s White House event on Wednesday while surrounded by some of the promotion’s biggest stars.
The president met with UFC fighters Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane in his Oval Office to promote the blockbuster show in Washington DC, which is taking place on the lawn of the White House next month.
A temporary structure is currently being prepared for the historic event on June 14 – America’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday – as Dana White’s MMA organization prepares for one of its biggest ever nights.
And just over a month out from the UFC Freedom 250 card, Trump gave fans a first glimpse of what the venue will look like on the lawn of his presidential residence.
After being joined by Pereira, Topuria, Gaethje and Gane in the Oval Office, the Commander-in-Chief showed off some incredible renderings of the proposed layout, which captures an Octagon in the colors of the American flag sitting right in front of the White House while surrounded by hundreds of spectators.
Donald Trump unveiled breathtaking renderings of the UFC’s White House event Wednesday
The president was surrounded by the likes of Ilia Topuria (left) and Justin Gaethje (right)
Trump also claimed that the entire country is invited to the ‘free’ event, with an estimated 100,000 people expected to watch on a big screen at The Ellipse – the 52-acre park south of the White House fence – and 5,000 poised to be seated on the lawn.
‘I think it’s gonna be the biggest event we’ve ever had at the White House,’ Trump said.Â
‘The White House doesn’t really do athletic events for the most part, and these are all the greatest champions in the world. They’re the greatest fighters in the world, you can tell by looking at them.’Â
Topuria and Gaethje are set to go head-to-head in the main event of the evening, with Pereira and Gane also battling it out earlier in the card.
‘We want to thank you for giving us this opportunity to put on the biggest event in sports history,’ Topuria told Trump.Â
‘I also want to thank God for giving us this beautiful day and to give us the opportunity to experience how it feels to be in our Oval Office.’
The UFC Featherweight champion then added: ‘I never thought you would be so kind.’
‘Well, I have a false image,’ Trump joked in reply.
The renderings show an Octagon in the colors of the American flag on the White House lawn
Trump has claimed it will go down as ‘the biggest event we’ve ever had at the White House’
He was joined in the Oval Office by four of the fighters involved in next month’s historic card
The president also explained how every UFC fighter was desperate to be involved in the historic event.Â
‘They all said “we don’t want to” because of the optics of them crying when they didn’t get on it,’ Gaethje claimed.
Trump eventually headed off to take some photos with the fighters on the White House’s Truman balcony.
UFC CEO White, a longtime ally of the president, has promised that the Freedom 250 event will be the ‘biggest in the history of the sport’.
The massive project is reportedly costing the UFC roughly $60million, with Super Bowl-style security set to be enforced on the night.
