President Donald Trump announced on Friday that construction of a UFC arena, dubbed “The Claw,” will begin next week on the White House grounds.
The platform will host UFC’s historic Freedom 250 fight, scheduled for June 14, the same day Trump turns 80.
“Well, they have some of the greatest champions in the world. The arena, they’re going to start building it over the next week, it’s right here,” Trump told reporters while speaking on the South Lawn. “It’ll be about 5,000 feet. They’ll have 100,000 people down by the Ellipse with screens, and it’s all free. It’s going to be great.”
The June 14 event will also mark the first time a UFC fight will be hosted at the White House. It is part of Trump’s grand plan to celebrate the United States’s 250th birthday throughout 2026.
The Claw is being constructed in Lititz, Pennsylvania, a small town west of Philadelphia. UFC is expected to spend $60 million on the event.
The Washington Examiner previously reported that UFC is also constructing a 4,500-seat venue ahead of the mixed martial arts cage match on the White House’s South Lawn.
While the main venue is at the White House, tens of thousands will be able to watch the fight on large screens set up on the Ellipse, an open area between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument often used for large gatherings. Organizers will hand out 85,000 free tickets to the public, according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Trump maintains close ties with White and has frequently attended UFC fights, most recently last month at UFC 327 in Miami.
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As part of the 250th celebrations, the State Department announced on Tuesday that it is releasing limited-edition passports featuring an image of Trump, a historic painting of the Founding Fathers at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and text from the document.
Ahead of the semiquincentennial celebrations, the four former living presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, shared an optimistic vision that the nation’s best days are ahead.
Emily Hallas contributed to this report.