President Donald Trump is all in on the upcoming UFC White House event and he doesn’t see why the good times can’t continue to roll after June 14.
Construction is well underway for the historic show set to take place next Sunday at the White House in Washington, D.C., and while numerous logistic issues are still being worked out, the public now has a better idea of how the structure for the event will actually look. It’s unclear how long the setup is supposed to remain on the White House lawn, but Trump has a suggestion as to when to remove it: Never.
“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889, it was built,” Trump said on TikTok. “It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair. They said, ‘You know, we sort of like it. Let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ And then they said let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer. Well, they never took it down.
“You know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people. It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14. And I’m looking at it and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”
Trump’s take on the Eiffel Tower is slightly inaccurate. While it’s true the international landmark was not initially meant to be permanent, it’s deconstruction was to occur in 1909, 20 years after the 1889 World’s Fair, not “immediately after.” It was eventually decided the tower would become a permanent fixture due to its utility in scientific experiments, including being used as a support antenna for wireless broadcasting. Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.
Only time will tell if Trump’s prediction is correct and the structure being erected for the UFC White House event earns similar prestige.
UFC White House takes place June 14 and is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje. Former two-division champion Alex Pereira looks to become the first fighter to become a three-division UFC titleholder when he fights Ciryl Gane for a vacant interim heavyweight belt.
