President Donald Trump has suggested that the UFC arena under construction at the White House for the looming MMA event could be a permanent fixture.
Trump made the unusual remark in a TikTok video late Tuesday, comparing the UFC “claw” stage on the White House South Lawn to a famous landmark in Europe.
“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889 it was built,” Trump said. “It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair, and then they said, ‘You know, we sort of like it. Let’s leave it up a little bit longer,’ and then they said, ‘Let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer.’”
The Eiffel Tower was once supposed to be taken down 20 years after the 1889 World Exhibition, but lead architect Gustave Eiffel pushed the French government to keep the tower permanently.
“Well, they never took it down, and you know we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people,” Trump added. “It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14, and I’m looking at it, and maybe we’ll never ever take it down.”
It remains to be seen whether Trump will follow through on the remark, which serves as another example of the president’s excitement for the UFC fight night this month.
The UFC Freedom 250 event will take place on June 14, marking not only Trump’s 80th birthday but also Flag Day. The arena’s construction, which started on Memorial Day, remains ongoing.
The event is set to host 5,000 attendees around the arena. Seats are reserved for military members and guests invited by the UFC and the White House. Though tickets will not be for sale, up to 100,000 people can watch on large screens at the nearby Ellipse.
The anti-Trump “No Kings” movement is expected to hold its next protest day on June 14 across the nation, including Washington, D.C. The progressive coalition said Trump would be “distracted” by the first-ever UFC fight at the White House.
Trump coordinated the historic event with his longtime friend, UFC President and CEO Dana White, who has been revealing his high expectations for the mixed martial arts fight in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.
“I love this country like anybody on the left loves this country,” White recently told Time. “I love this country like anybody on the Right loves this country. This is basically me spending a s***load of money to celebrate the 250th birthday of America, with America and the rest of the world.”
The UFC is funding the fight, estimated to cost $60 million to produce.
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Despite his high expectations, the chief executive has expressed concerns about holding the fight outdoors during the summer, as several environmental factors could affect the athletic performance of its participants.
“There’s two things I hate,” White said on the NPR Newsmakers podcast. “I hate stadiums, and I hate even worse than a stadium is fighting outside. There’s just so many different variables you have to deal with, you know, the weather, and you know the worst, obviously, being rain and lightning, yeah, and then bugs, and you know temperatures.”