SportOther SportsLIVEUpdated 4 mins agoIlia Topuria defends his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje while Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane meet for the interim heavyweight world titleAlex Pereira takes on Ciryl GaneThe time has finally come as the UFC hits the White House for one of the most ambitious fight nights in combat sports history.On President Donald Trump's 80th birthday, seven fights will take place on the front garden of one of the most famous buildings in the world. A select crowd will watch Ilia Topuria defend his UFC lightweight title against interim champ Justin Gaethje in the main event.They will also be treated to a mouthwatering heavyweight clash as Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane meet for the interim belt - and the right to face undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. There will also be appearances from Sean O'Malley and Michael Chandler. The action kicks off at 1am UK time and you can follow every fight right here...Today23:39 BSTA sneak peek at the locker roomsIn just a few hours, all of tonight's fighters will make their way to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and wrap up some last minute preparations before they make the walk to the cage.Imagine being in the same room as Pereira...(Image: Zuffa LLC)(Image: Zuffa LLC)Today23:36 BSTThe stage is setA quick look at how tonight's cage will look. When Donald Trump announced plans to stage a UFC event on the grounds of the White House, it seemed like a pipedream.But in just a few hours time, it's about to turn into a reality, and the UFC crew have done an exceptional job at getting everything ready.Just look at the setting!(Image: Zuffa LLC)(Image: Zuffa LLC)Today23:33 BSTSevere thunderstorm watch issued for around the DC areaThe National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the District of Columbia, parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia - which will be in effect until 11pm ET tonight!Keep your eyes peeled, MMA fans...Content cannot be displayed without consent‌Today23:30 BSTAlex Pereira left with egg on his faceFormer two-division champion Alex Pereira is set to fight in the co-main event tonight against Ciryl Gane. Amid talk of the weather, the Brazilian took to social media to ease fans, saying that he feels "connected to nature" and that it's not going to rain at the UFC White House event tonight.He said: "There's a lot of people talking about the weather... but listen here. You can all remain at ease because I've already connected to nature and it's not gonna rain. Chama."The UFC has already advised attending the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest to “plan accordingly” due to expected inclement weather“We anticipate inclement weather in the area, so attendees should plan accordingly. We will share additional information when available.”And now, coverage has already been delayed - with the first fight now due to get underway at around 2am UK time.Content cannot be displayed without consentToday23:24 BSTUFC White House delayed - ALREADYIn the build-up, a lot was made of the weather, as rain has been forecast over in Washington. But in the word of Dana White, the show must go on. But fans have already been hit with a major scare after it was confirmed that the broadcast will not actually start until 1am BST (8pm ET) with the first fight due to get underway at around 2am UK time.It's going to be a long night for European fans...Content cannot be displayed without consentToday23:21 BSTGood evening and welcome!Good evening and welcome to our live blog for the historic UFC White House card tonight. A little over 24 hours from Tommy Fury's triumph over Eddie Hall, we are back with some more action in the world of combat sports. It'll take some doing to top Ibiza Final Boss' fight of the year contender with Jordan McCann but I am sure some of tonight's athletes will give it a go.That was a joke - obviously.On Donald Trump's 80th birthday, rather than asking for something small, he has instead wished for something big - staging a UFC event on his front lawn. But we are here, and tonight promises to be a cracker.Ilia Topuria will defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event, while Alex Pereira will face off with Ciryl Gane for the interim strap in the co-main event. It's going to be epic, so be sure to follow all of our coverage.‌