UFC to host first fight event at the White House

The White House is group to a big an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena adjacent twelvemonth arsenic portion of 4 July celebrations successful nan US to people nan 250th day of nan country's founding.

The octagon cage conflict arena was announced by UFC leader Dana White, whose relationship pinch nan president dates backmost to nan early 2000s erstwhile Trump hosted immoderate of nan first ever UFC events astatine his business properties.

"It is decidedly going to happen," White told CBS Mornings.

White said he planned to meet pinch nan president and his girl Ivanka astatine nan extremity of nan period to finalise nan plans. A White House charismatic confirmed nan arena to nan BBC.

It will people nan first clip a UFC fighting title would beryllium hosted astatine nan White House.

It's unclear wherever nan arena would beryllium hosted. UFC fights typically tie tens of thousands of group and are held successful ample arenas, pinch nan sports trademarked eight-sided octogen cage successful nan middle.

"When he called maine and asked maine to do it, he said: 'I want Ivanka successful nan mediate of this,'" White said of his discussions pinch Trump.

"So Ivanka reached retired to me, and her and I started talking astir nan possibilities, wherever it would beryllium and, you know, I put together each nan renderings."

Trump had teased nan thought of hosting a conflict astatine nan White House during an arena past period successful Iowa.

He indicated that location were ideas to build a cage for nan conflict connected nan grounds of nan White House and suggested nan arena could big up to 25,000 people.

"We're going to person a UFC fight, deliberation of this, connected nan grounds of nan White House," Trump said astatine a 4 July Salute to America arena successful nan state. "We person a batch of onshore there."

He told supporters astatine nan event, which he said would footwear of a twelvemonth of celebrations for nan nation's 250th birthday, that nationalist parks and historical sites crossed nan US would besides big typical events.

The UFC conflict is nan latest move by Trump to spot his people connected nan White House.

He has made renovating nan full analyzable of nan White House a privilege for his 2nd term. So far, he's redecorated nan Oval Office pinch golden decor, paved complete nan writer section successful nan Rose Garden, erected 2 ample flagpoles connected nan northbound and southbound lawns, and announced plans to build a $200m (£151m) caller ballroom successful nan East Wing.

Last week, he walked connected nan tile of nan West Wing, saying he was looking astatine "another measurement to walk my money for this country".

The plans for nan conflict travel soon aft Paramount, which owns CBS, announced a seven-year, $7.7bn woody to watercourse UFC fights.

The Trump management precocious approved a heavy scrutinised merger betwixt Skydance and Paramount, which included promises and commitments by nan companies to nan management earlier it was approved.

Courtney Subramanian contributed reporting from nan White House.