Three days before the first punches are set to be thrown at a White House-UFC event, the South Lawn is unrecognizable. A space that has over the decades hosted world leaders, prisoners of war, and children hunting Easter eggs, is now dominated by a massive, spider-like arch. It towers over the White House, which now seems almost modest by comparison.
For those in Washington, it has been impossible to miss the hulking 92-foot canopy known as “the claw” being raised behind the White House in preparation for a literal cage match. Up close, its scale becomes more disorienting, with lighting rigs and catwalks layered into a single suspended frame that organizers say can hold 4,000 people. A giant LED screen stands at the southern edge of the temporary arena, pointed toward spectators gathering on the Ellipse. Beyond the structure, the Washington Monument looms in the distance.
The scale of the production is startling, even by the standards of a presidency that has often embraced spectacle. The Octagon stands only a short distance from the Executive Mansion and not far from the Oval Office, where presidents make decisions about war, peace and national crises.
The elaborate production came with an equally eye-catching price tag. The UFC spent roughly $60 million to transform the South Lawn into a temporary arena and has said it expects to lose money on the undertaking, TIME previously reported. Executives have described the event instead as a once-in-a-generation marketing opportunity.
More than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend the fights on the South Lawn, with at least 1,200 seats reserved for active-duty military personnel. Organizers also created standing-room areas to maximize capacity, while a fan festival and viewing party on the Ellipse could accommodate tens of thousands more.
Around the cage, corporate logos line the rails. Polymarket, Stake, VeChain, Bud Light, FRE Nicotine Pouches, and dozen other sponsors are prominently
