President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated UFC fighting event on the White House South Lawn appears more vulnerable to Washington, D.C.’s swampy summer weather and insect population than to any legal challenge.
A federal judge yesterday declined to block the event, rejecting a lawsuit brought by two Virginia residents just days before the fight.
Instead, organizers are keeping a close eye on the forecast. UFC President Dana White recently told The Hollywood Reporter that the biggest threats to the outdoor spectacle are “rain, lightning and a ton of bugs.”
The insects, at least, are virtually guaranteed.
“This event is going to draw a big crowd,” University of Maryland entomologist Michael Raupp told Axios. “But guess what? There are going to be even more bugs joining.”
Raupp said attendees can expect swarms of midges, mayflies emerging from the Potomac River, stoneflies, caddisflies, winged beetles, and “a whole cadre of night-flying moths.” Washington’s usual summer pests will also make an appearance, including mosquitoes, which Raupp noted are more attracted to sweaty spectators than bright lights, as well as black flies and even bats feeding on the abundance of insects.
“If you have this banquet of small flying insects,” Raupp said, “the bats are going to say, ‘Oh, baby!’”
The weather could pose a more serious challenge. Forecasters are predicting heavy humidity and the possibility of afternoon and evening thunderstorms on Sunday. White has insisted the event will proceed despite adverse conditions, though any lightning in the area would likely force temporary delays.
The event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Sunday and coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday. A massive temporary arena has transformed the South Lawn, including a 92-foot-tall “Claw” structure towering above the octagon and arena-style seating for thousands of spectators.
Despite concerns about the weather and insects, fighters have largely shrugged off the conditions.
“I like my chances with a bug in my eye better than my opponent,” UFC fighter Michael Chandler told reporters. “I like my chances in 100-degree swampy heat better than my opponent — and that’s all that matters.”