UFC CEO Dana White says the promotion is prepared for all weather scenarios ahead of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, insisting only lightning could prevent the historic event from taking place on the South Lawn next month.
The June 14 card, which forms part of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary, is set to feature a lightweight title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, while Alex Pereira faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event.
“There’s a park that’s right there,” said White, according to FOX Sports. “We’re gonna be ticketing 85,000 people in the Ellipse, and the tickets are free. We’ll announce how we’re gonna be giving them away soon, but you should plan on going to Washington, D.C., for this event.”
White also addressed concerns over staging the event outdoors, saying the UFC has contingency plans in place while working closely with the military for weather monitoring. “Outdoors is just way too unpredictable,” said White. “And we’ve gone over this, if it rains, we’re going. If it snows, we’re going. The only thing that will stop us is lightning.”
According to White, military support will play a key role in tracking conditions in the lead-up to fight night. “But we’re working with the military,” he said. “So the military knows the weather 10 days out. They’ll notify us every two hours, 10 days out. Seven days out, they’ll notify us every hour.”
The event is expected to draw around 4,000 spectators on the White House South Lawn, with attendance largely reserved for military personnel and invited guests. The UFC is also planning a nearby fan festival at The Ellipse Park, which will include live entertainment from the Zac Brown Band and large viewing screens for fans unable to access the main venue.
Topuria and Gaethje met with US President Donald Trump earlier this month ahead of the event, with Topuria thanking the president for the “opportunity to build the biggest event in sports history,” while Gaethje described the invitation as “truly an honour.”
