President Donald Trump is suggesting the massive structure being built on the White House lawn for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event later this month may be left up permanently.
In a video posted to Trump's TikTok account, he compared the structure to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, which was built as the centerpiece for the 1889 world's fair and was originally meant to be temporary.
@realdonaldtrump
MAYBE WE’LL NEVER EVER TAKE IT DOWN
"We're building something in front of the White House that's quite attractive to a lot of people," Trump said. "It's going to have the big UFC fight on June 14th. And I'm looking at it, and maybe we'll never, ever take it down."
The event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the country's founding and is expected to feature six mixed martial arts fights, including two championship bouts.
The main event will feature American Justin Gaethje against Georgian-Spanish fighter Ilia Topuria for the undisputed lightweight championship. The co-main event will feature UFC superstar Alex Pereira facing Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship.
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The event is essentially invite-only, but UFC President Dana White has said about 85,000 tickets will be given away, allowing fans to gather outside the White House grounds. Fans will be able to watch the fights on large screens and, in some areas, potentially see the octagon.
Trump is a longtime UFC fan and has attended numerous events, often receiving a warm welcome from fans. White has also been a prominent supporter of Trump and campaigned for him during the 2024 election.
