The White House has steadily accumulated a series of major construction projects, building out a landscape that now includes a $400 million ballroom under development, a Rose Garden that has been paved over, a gilded redesign of the Oval Office, a Presidential Walk of Fame, and a proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch.
Now another addition is being built.
This week, cranes moved onto the South Lawn to construct a 5,000-seat UFC arena tied to Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, with UFC Freedom 250 scheduled for Flag Day and Trump’s birthday on June 14, bringing sport and national ceremony together into a single program.
Cranes on cranes at the White House today, prepping for the UFC fight that will be held on the South Lawn in June, and construction of the President’s new ballroom. pic.twitter.com/GdBZmfrmuY
— Julie Tsirkin (@news_jul) May 25, 2026
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New visuals for #UFCWhiteHouse and the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest are here!
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The main card features Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira facing Ciryl Gane in the co-main event, and Sean O’Malley taking on Aiemann Zahabi in a bantamweight bout.
The staging extends beyond the octagon, with weigh-ins planned at the Lincoln Memorial and a laser and fireworks display also expected later in the program.
Attendance projections for the Ellipse range between 50,000 and 100,000 people, and Trump has already described it as “the biggest event we’ve ever had at the White House.”
Attention has also turned to the scale of the build itself.
According to The Mirror, the setup includes a structure known as “the claw,” a large lighting and canopy system built in Europe and shipped to the United States for the event, while Dana White has said the White House backdrop will remain visible throughout the fights, keeping the setting part of the broadcast framing.
Promotional visuals released by the UFC show the staging alongside oversized patriotic imagery and an American flag with 48 stars, while early use of the space has already revealed some practical complications.
Dana White described a dinner in the newly paved Rose Garden as an early test of conditions, pointing to an unexpected insect issue, saying, “The amount of gnats that were flying around. I’m like, ‘Holy s–t,’” and adding that he immediately contacted production staff before suggesting fans as a possible solution.
The event also carries a heavy financial footprint.
Restoring the South Lawn after the fights is expected to cost around $700,000, while organizers say no taxpayer funds are involved, with TKO Group Holdings covering costs projected above $60 million and anticipating an operating loss of about $30 million.
Behind it all, construction continues across the grounds, with cranes now working simultaneously on both the UFC setup and the ballroom project as development proceeds across the White House complex.
Featured image via X screengrab
