WASHINGTON — The UFC will stage fights on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday. UFC Freedom 250 is really happening, and yes, it’s as strange as it sounds.There are dozens of questions, and we’re here to offer as many answers as we can after seeing the unconventional setup, tracking the weather and following the lead-up to this event since it was first mused about.This much is clear: It’s going to be one of the oddest spectacles in sports — the first professional, not-just-for-kicks sporting event on the grounds of the executive branch of the U.S. government.Here’s everything you need to know about it.OK, so this is actually on for real. Why?Because the leader of the free world loves MMA and is close allies with UFC CEO Dana White, and the United States is turning 250 years old. Aligning the date with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday was too perfect to pass up.Trump has been a frequent attendee of live sporting events as president, and his friendship with White has put Trump cageside at numerous UFC events in recent years. White has been a steady supporter of Trump’s political career, delivering impassioned speeches and donating millions of dollars. They have described each other as personal friends.Plenty of people have mused about the mutual rewards of that friendship.Who stands to benefit from this?White and the UFC are by far the biggest beneficiaries of the event. No promotion on earth could buy this kind of exposure. One example: Plans have included some fighters walking out from the Oval Office.For Trump, it’s a custom-built spectacle for his birthday and the America 250 celebration.Paramount+, the broadcaster, gets a marquee event to flex its $7.7 billion deal at a time when the U.S. government has been scrutinizing a giant merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.Has the UFC ever done something like this before?Not to this level. UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, a bonanza of lights and sounds that was also far different from fights in a typical sporting arena, reportedly cost UFC upwards of $30 million. Freedom 250 is different math entirely: more than $60 million and tens of thousands of labor hours, according to court filings in response to a federal lawsuit.At least 700 subcontractors and numerous federal agencies have provided support with things like background checks and clearances, logistical support and security.The UFC has done outdoor events before. UFC 112 was in an open-air arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in 2010, and that production was logistically complicated enough for White to swear off outdoor events, at least for a while.He was back in that mood after a Friday night news conference at the Lincoln Memorial was delayed an hour by lightning. He’s good with indoor arenas going forward, he says.How close are White and Trump?Their relationship dates to 2001, when Trump invited the UFC to host fights at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. The friendship carried into Trump’s political career, as White spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention, donated $1 million to the America First Action super PAC in 2020 and spoke at Mar-a-Lago on election night in 2024.Trump’s first public appearance outside Mar-a-Lago after he won his second presidential term was at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. It took on the tenor of a campaign party.Trump’s most recent appearance at a UFC card was in April at UFC 327 in Miami.So, who’s fighting at the White House?Here is the card for Sunday night:• Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title