The jokes came flying after photos circulated showing a giant metal complex called "The Claw" being erected on the South Lawn of the White House ahead of the UFC fight on June 14—President Donald Trump's birthday.
Trump previously announced there will be a UFC fight on the White House grounds to celebrate America's semiquincentennial. Trump expects the fight will happen in front of 20,000 to 25,000 people, a proposal backed by former two-division champion Conor McGregor, who confirmed his interest after not having competed since 2021.
Trump has long maintained a close friendship with UFC President Dana White, who has appeared at several of his campaign rallies. Immediately following his 2024 election victory, Trump brought White onstage to publicly thank him for his support during the campaign.
In fact, the first UFC event held after White and his partners took ownership was hosted at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City in 2001. During a 2018 Fox News interview, White said Trump "gave us our start when nobody would talk to us."
The headline fight for the June 14 event will see lightweight contenders Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje face off, while Brazil’s Alex Pereira is set to meet France’s Ciryl Gane in a featured undercard matchup. Elsewhere on the card, American fighter Sean O'Malley will take on Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi, and Michael Chandler is scheduled to fight Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy.
Now photos on social media show "The Claw" being erected ahead of the event, which is expected to seat roughly 5,000 people.
@lthomasnews/X
C-SPAN
UFC also posted photos of their own in a promotional post on X, noting that "construction has begun at the White House for UFC Freedom 250."
People were not impressed—and here came the jokes
According to White, UFC and its parent company TKO Group Holdings will absorb the costs associated with the event.
Although the promotion is not expected to make money from the event itself, executives believe around $30 million in sponsorship revenue could help reduce the financial hit. The UFC has also committed to paying for repairs and restoration to the South Lawn afterward, but security expenses will not be covered by the company.
Security costs, which are expected to be considerable, will instead be handled by the Secret Service and local police agencies using public funds.
