UFC cage lands on White House lawn for Trump’s 80th birthday

WASHINGTON (AP) — A giant eight-sided cage now sits on the White House’s South Lawn. It is the UFC’s signature Octagon, built for a fight night celebrating President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The structure, 30 feet (9 meters) wide, has wire-mesh sides and padded corners with sponsor logos. Above it hangs “The Claw,” a four-sided tower rising more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air. It holds lights, speakers, and four large screens so fans can watch the cage fighting. The temporary arena will seat more than 4,000 people for seven fights on Sunday. The South Lawn, where Marine One usually lands and children hunt for Easter eggs, has been transformed. Grass is gone, replaced by dusty dirt and rows of gray folding chairs. Crews have worked since May 20 to build the arena. The cost is more than $60 million, according to a court filing from the National Park Service. The White House says the UFC is paying, but seven federal agencies, including Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, have contributed resources and manpower. Fighters will enter the arena through curtained walkways. They will have views of the White House’s Truman Balcony on one side and the Washington Monument on the other. A pre-event schedule includes a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday and a weigh-in at the Ellipse on Saturday. Organizers expect more than 120,000 visitors to watch Sunday’s fights on large screens there. Stunt athlete Travis Pastrana is set to perform a backflip on a dirt bike on the lawn as part of the preshow. Trump has called the Octagon “quite attractive to a lot of people.” He has suggested the structure could become permanent, like the Eiffel Tower, which was built for a world’s fair and never taken down. The fight will go on rain or shine. The weather forecast calls for thunderstorms. The Claw’s tower has some overhead cover for fighters, and Trump is expected to watch from a protected area. But most attendees could get wet. UFC chief Dana White said the show will not stop. “I don’t care if it snows,” he said.