1 of 6 | A fan of ultimate fighting hits a punching bag on the Ellipse outside of the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 ceremonial weigh-ins in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo
Stormy weather has caused a delay in the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, pushing the event back by an hour.
The pre-fight portion of the event was delayed until 8 p.m. EDT and the fight card will begin no earlier than 9 p.m.
President Donald Trump entered the makeshift outdoor arena with UFC president and CEO Dana White. The event was originally scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT. It is the first time a live sporting event will be held on the White House grounds, and it has drawn criticism leading up to the first bell.
Protesters stood outside the Ellipse throughout the afternoon, erecting a cage of their own and filling it with puppets that resemble the president and members of his cabinet. The protesters were with the group Third Act Virginia, a local chapter of the Third Act Movement. The group’s mission is to mobilize seniors for causes like environmental protection and democracy.
“We made the cage to show them behind bars where they belong,” said Marco Smith, a member of the organization. “Not in the UFC cage but in a jail cage.”
The event is purported to be in celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, which is not until July 4.
However, it coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday, which is Sunday. A federal lawsuit from the Public Integrity Project sought to stop the event from happening highlighted this fact as well as the damage being done to the South Lawn, lack of congressional approval and the use of the White House to promote a company that Trump has invested in and is friends with the owner of.
Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia rejected the lawsuit on Friday.
The Justice Department, defending the event, argued that the plaintiffs could not prove any harm had been done.
The event costs $60 million to put on. White, who stumped for Trump during his presidential campaign, said the UFC will pay for $700,000 worth of restoration to the South Lawn.
The UFC constructed a large structure, referred to as the Claw, for the event. It is 92 feet tall, 154 feet wide and weighs 600 tons.
Five thousand people are expected to be in attendance on Sunday to watch a fight card headlined by the UFC lightweight championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. There will be seven fights in total.
UFC Freedom 250 will be streamed on Paramount+.
