President Trump welcomed UFC fighters in the Oval Office on Wednesday to promote the UFC event on the White House’s South Lawn next month.
Sitting at the resolute desk and flanked by four towering fighters, Mr. Trump predicted a historic event on June 14, which will also be on his 80th birthday.
“It’s going to be the biggest event we’ve ever had at the White House,” the president said. “I mean, the White House doesn’t really do athletic events for the most part. And these are all the greatest champions. They are the greatest fighters in the world.”
The UFC contenders joining Mr. Trump in the Oval Office were Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane, Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria.
Topuria and Gaethje will be on the fight’s main event.
Gaethje said UFC is the only sport that’s “merit-based.”
“Everybody has an opportunity, and we all get a chance and we will get a chance,” he said.
The seven-fight card is part of the celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
Construction will begin on a roughly 5,000-seat arena that will hold the octagon-shaped fighting cage. An additional 75,000 to 100,000 spectators will be further away at the White House Ellipse, where they can watch on screens.
The arena’s centerpiece is currently on display in Lititz, Pennsylvania, where a mockup of the 90-foot-tall, open-air structure was assembled ahead of the White House event. It will undergo light and sound testing before being transported to the District.
