White House erects UFC cage ahead of US 250th anniversary celebrations

The White House has begun construction on a UFC fighting cage on its South Lawn ahead of next month's event to celebrate 250 years of American independence.Workers were seen assembling domed arches and a staging area, which based on online renderings, will form an octagon-shaped ring surrounded by a wire-mesh fence and thousands of temporary seats.US President Donald Trump previously said the project will be the "biggest event" the UFC has ever had, featuring an "arena right outside the front door of the White House".Dubbed UFC Freedom 250, the event is due to take place on 14 June, with the UFC set to spend around $60m (£44.3m) on the project.Kevin Dietsch via Getty ImagesDespite the large-scale promotion, the event will be headlined by just two championship title fights. Brazil's Alex Pereira will go up against France's Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight crown, while Georgian Ilia Topuria is set to take on current interim champion Justin Gaethje for the lightweight bout.UFC president Dana White said earlier this month that 4,300 people will watch the event on the South Lawn, most of whom will be members of the military, while 85,000 tickets will be made available for free to members of the public to watch the event at the nearby Ellipse Park.