WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Yet another White House construction project is underway, though this one is meant to be only temporary.
Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn that will host next month’s , helping mark the nation’s 鈥� and President ‘s 80th birthday.
depict what the completed, wire-mesh-fence-ringed fight space is expected to look like ahead of the June 14 event. It will be ringed by a red, white and blue stage under a towering arch featuring stars and stripes patterns and two large screens carrying the action live.
The cage and stage will themselves be surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, including ringside space for a full marching band that can set the entire scene to blaring music.
The project is part of a series of events celebrating the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4, 1776. Other planned functions include an that will pass by the White House and the Great American State Fair taking place on the National Mall.
Trump has said that the finished UFC project will feature 鈥渁 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.鈥� Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate spectators at both locations.
鈥淚 have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets,鈥� Trump said recently of demand to attend the UFC fight, adding, 鈥淭hat’s gonna be something.鈥�
The card has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, featuring just two championship fights. Brazil鈥檚 Alex Pereira will meet France鈥檚 for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Then Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion takes on interim champ , one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC鈥檚 11 championship belts.
The octagon and surrounding structures are the latest project in the White House building boom Trump is leading.
The president’s other efforts to leave his mark include reminiscent of his estate in Florida, affixing partisan plaques to the wall of the colonnade for a , redoing the and renovating the Palm Room, placing new on the north and south lawns and for a .
The president also wants to beside the White House and build a at the nearby Lincoln Memorial 鈥� the same monument where weigh-ins for the upcoming UFC fight are scheduled to take place, bout organizers say.
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