A hulking superstructure is taking over the White House lawn for Donald Trump’s UFC cage match, coinciding with the president’s 80th birthday and marking the first-ever private sports event held there.Crews have finished installing a 92-foot-tall “Claw” above the octagon-shaped stage for UFC’s Freedom 250, surrounded by arena-style seating and plastered with brand names and company logos, including Polymarket and Bud Light.The event — in tandem with a White House-backed celebration of the nation’s 25th anniversary — will hold more than 4,000 people, and a nearby park is expected to hold more than 120,000 visitors for a watch party.A federal lawsuit threatened to derail the event before it started. The last-minute lawsuit accused the president’s “deeply corrupt” event gives the UFC “unfettered access” to turn public landmarks into profitable billboards.UFC committed $60 million to the event, according to court filings. The event is expected to draw multi-million dollar sponsorships as well as revenue through a broadcast agreement with Paramount +, a streaming platform operated by Trump allies.White House officials say the UFC is covering costs for the unprecedented production, but several federal agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower,” officials say.A-listers snub UFC fight on heels of Freedom 250 concert fiascoSeveral celebrities who were reportedly invited to Donald Trump’s UFC cage fight have no plans to show up.The high-profile snubs follow the collapse of the Freedom 250 concert series on the National Mall, after all but a handful of artists dropped out.Trump has threatened to cancel the whole series and is now hosting a kick-off event featuring Lee Greenwood and, of course, himself.Alex Woodward12 June 2026 17:30Analysis: Trump eclipsing America 250 with his own birthday celebration is exactly what we deserveHolly Baxter on what America deserves versus what America gets:Alex Woodward12 June 2026 17:00Lawsuit accuses Trump of 'volcano of corruption'A federal judge is weighing whether to issue a temporary restraining order that would stop Sunday’s cage match and block the UFC from using the White House and Lincoln Memorial as a backdrop for a for-profit sporting event, the first ever on White House grounds.Inside the 11th hour legal battle:Alex Woodward12 June 2026 16:15Look inside the UFC Freedom 250 octagon on the White House lawnThe White House South Lawn has officially been turned into a makeshift Ultimate Fighting Championship arena, with a massive, 600-ton steel arch erected above a red, white and blue octagon and a limited number of temporary stadium seating.Ariana Baio12 June 2026 16:00