What could the planned UFC fight at the White House look like?

Metro

3 days ago

It's a seismic moment in a sporting promotion that has had a stratospheric rise since its inception three decades ago.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to be staged at The White House next year, when longtime fan Donald Trump is likely to be in the front row as the fighters battle it out on the lawn.
Marking the July 4 celebrations, 250 years on from the founding of the United States, it promises to be quite a spectacle.
And British and Irish MMA fighters will almost certainly be entering the Octagon if the history-making event goes ahead.
UFC boss Dana White, whose friendship with Trump stretches back to the early 2000s, said: 'It is definitely going to happen.'
White explained that he plans to finalise the plans with the US president and his daughter Ivanka at the end of the month.
While the UFC has been staged all over the world, it would be the first time that it has been hosted in the seat of power.
The main fight events are large arena shows drawing tens of thousands of people, and it's unclear where exactly where the show would take place, but it's thought it would be staged on the lawn.
'When he called me and asked me to do it, he said, 'I want Ivanka in the middle of this,'' White told CBS Mornings of his discussions with Trump.
'So Ivanka reached out to me and her and I started talking about the possibilities, where it would be and, you know, I put together all the renderings.'
Trump previously said that a UFC event will take place 'on the grounds of the White House' on Independence Day.
'We have a lot of land there,' he added.
The president, speaking at a rally in Iowa last month, said the event could be staged in front of between 20,000 and 25,000 people.
An AI image produced by a picture agency shows the eight-sided cage in front of the presidential building in Washington DC.
In real life, the arena would likely be comprised of thousands of seats, with room for light shows and performers.
What is clear is that the UFC can put on extravagant shows, best exemplified by the dazzling spectacle at the Las Vegas Sphere for Mexican Independence Weekend in September 2024.
British undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is the most obvious pick for a UK fighter to feature on the White House card.
However, in conversation with combat sports broadcaster Ariel Helwani, it became clear that he is concentrating on his upcoming fight with Frenchman Ciryl Gane in October.
Aspinall said the thought of a White House fight with Jon 'Bones' Jones, widely regarded as having ducked the Brit before leaving retiring, had occupied 'zero seconds in my mind.'
The champion, from Wigan, explained: 'Not interested, and the world shouldn't be interested, because what's the point? It's false hope.'
Asked if he would still be interested in fighting at the White House without Jones making an unlikely comeback, he replied: 'Not particularly, it doesn't not interest me, but it doesn't really interest me to be honest. I'm not really fussed by it, I'll fight anywhere, it doesn't really bother me.
'It would be a cool experience but I'm not like…I feel like the Americans should get the shot at the White House, I'm not American, Trump and the political stance in America doesn't really bother me.
'I'm not really a big Trump supporter or against Trump..all that stuff is just irrelevant to me.'
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Conor McGregor is another name from this side of the pond who has been linked with an appearance at the White House show.
Also speaking to Helwani, UFC fighter Michael Chandler, who was soundly beaten by Scouser Paddy Pimblett in April, said he would 'love' to fight the Irish former two-times champion at the venue. More Trending
'That's the one everyone wants, that's the pinnacle,' he said of the yet to be announced White House card.
'As a fighter you want the biggest stages the brightest lights the biggest money you possibly can with the shortest window of opportunity you have in the sport and fighting on the White House lawn with the president of the United States…
'I was just with someone else from his team and he said people from England will be coming to pay their respects, it's going to be special.'
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