THE ENORMITY OF the mission ahead -- staging a UFC event at the White House -- started sinking in for Craig Borsari only after multiple UFC-White House meetings culminated in the decision to install a giant portable arena nicknamed "the claw" on the South Lawn.
Borsari's boss, UFC chief executive Dana White, had tasked him with the logistics for UFC Freedom 250 and its adjacent fanfest, scheduled for this weekend.
The UFC chief content officer, working with a $60 million budget and facing months of intricate planning ahead, now had to arrange hundreds of truckloads of equipment, clear every item and construction worker through tight federal security, then account for every detail -- including bathroom facilities -- to accommodate 4,300 guests without so much as digging a hole in the South Lawn ground.
Borsari said the general outlines for the UFC Freedom 250 event solidified on Oct. 16 after three White House meetings. It was, he said, "a huge relief" once the project was fully vetted and he received the final yes months later.
But now the UFC had to pull it off. Staging this on the South Lawn, the backyard of the country's most famous residence, created logistical and security hurdles unlike any sporting event in American history.
"Imagine all of the challenges that were ahead of us," Borsari told ESPN. "... From an event-organizing perspective, we first needed to figure out, well, what are we going to do? How is this going to look? How are we going to configure our arena space?"
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP first posed the idea of a UFC event at the White House days after his 2024 election, as reported by Time magazine. Trump specifically tied the proposed event last July to the nation's 250th birthday celebration. But the date agreed upon coincides with Trump's own birthday.
(The birthday timing emerged as a bone of contention in a federal lawsuit filed last weekend to block the event. Plaintiffs argued that the sporting event was unauthorized by Congress and is not part of the America 250 festivities.)
"I think a lot of people would look at [it] from a distance and say: This is impossible," Borsari said. But that's exactly why it was "motivating and fun for me. I like really tough challenges."
The UFC brought in two outside companies for event planning and logistics. The meeting schedule with the White House intensified, with Trump's daughter Ivanka attending 10 to 12 of the sessions, either in person or by phone, according to Borsari.
Borsari said the biggest surprise of the whole project was how, "in order to get a project approved, there's so many groups you need to go through and vet," including not only the Secret Service but also White House operations, Homeland Security, the National Park Service and perhaps even the Pentagon.
MOST UFC FIGHTS take place in established arenas with built-in locker rooms and trainer facilities. Borsari had to create those spaces from existing space at the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door. Each fighter's White House walkout needed to be unique, with locations to be determined after Borsari considered lighting and camera angles.
Fighters will arrive outside the Executive Office Building and be escorted to their locker rooms, one of which is the ornate, two-story Indian Treaty Room, completed in 1879 with a nautical theme, marble paneling and a compass design at the floor's center. The Secret Service and a stage manager will escort fighters from the treaty room to their designated spot on the White House grounds to begin the walkout to the Octagon.
Having fighters emerge from the Oval Office "was never my plan," Borsari said, adding that one of two fighters might end up making such an entrance. Presumably, that decision would be up to Trump.
THE UFC DECIDED on the claw after White rejected initial designs. From a broadcast perspective, he said he wanted clear sight lines to the White House and the Washington Monument. None of the previous designs sufficed.
Borsari said he initially wanted more than 5,000 seats. Pete Dropick, the UFC's executive vice president of event development and operations, told ESPN the UFC added "outside the norm," standing-room-only ticketing to the South Lawn venue to maximize capacity.
"There's only so much you can do in terms of buildout before you start to impede on certain areas on the South Lawn," Borsari said. "Either with weight restrictions or just the physical space of the structure, and it starts to become too disruptive."
Stageco, the company that owns the claw structure, built a galvanized steel stadium underbelly and other installations to level out the South Lawn's 22-degree downhill slope so the stadium could go on top. The site plan includes a giant LED screen at the south edge of the arena, aimed toward viewers on the Ellipse. A temporary office has been set up on the grounds for postfight medicals. Dropick said the UFC is using "every square foot" of its allotted space.
Since the White House has imposed a mandate to preserve the grounds -- including a no-dig rule -- Dropick said postfight South Lawn repair "is a significant cost to our budget," and while the figures are estimates, he confirmed it could cost $700,000 to $1 million.
The UFC began its South Lawn and Ellipse construction in late May. Borsari left six days of lead time in his planning for testing and buffer. Crews worked day and night shifts to complete the build on time while sharing some staging areas with other construction crews working on the White House ballroom. White announced on Sunday night via Instagram that the claw's installation was complete.
Borsari estimated 350 truckloads entered the White House grounds. Each truck and its cargo went through dog-sniffing and other Secret Service clearances before entering the property. The UFC could be on site for a week after the event to dismantle the claw.
Borsari said the construction meant that Marine One, if needed by the president, would have to land somewhere other than the South Lawn during the UFC's lawn takeover.
Then came the tricky issue of restroom accommodations for 4,300 people. White insisted on facilities of far greater quality than the typical port-a-potties or elevated temporary toilets.
"Real bathrooms," White told ESPN. "Like, if you stayed at the f---ing Four Seasons, these are the kind of bathrooms that we're installing in there." He did not clarify how that quality could be achieved, given the site's many constraints.
A separate concessions section will offer free food and drinks to guests.
WHILE CONSTRUCTION PLANNING was underway, White turned his focus to the card itself. His team used a whiteboard to sketch out around 25 pairing options. White said he didn't consider clearance concerns or criminal records when making selections.
He said his main concern was: "Who do I think will deliver? And more importantly, who can I count on?"
White chose six fights, including two title bouts. The winner of the main event fight between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria will receive a special Freedom 250 belt. White later added a seventh bout -- Derrick Lewis-Josh Hokit -- after Trump asked during UFC 327 in Miami why Lewis wasn't on the card.
Two fighters -- Kyle Daukaus and Steven Garcia -- told ESPN in May that questions arose about police records when they were initially approached about the card. Daukaus said his manager asked whether there was anything to worry about. (The answer: No.) Other fighters said they were not asked.
"The White House is going to do extensive background checks and all that stuff for everybody -- not just fighters [but] anybody who steps on that property that night," White said.
Most fighters told ESPN they expected background checks.
"We're all being background checked anyway," Michael Chandler, one of the fighters on the card, told ESPN. "So, I don't even think that's something we need to think about right now."
The entire production was determined to be a SEAR 1 event by the Department of Homeland Security, same as the World Cup final and semifinals, meaning it has high-level, multi-agency security.
The UFC submitted a master list of potential attendees -- staff, spectators and fight teams -- to the White House for security checks, although Borsari said the list is malleable until fight night as guests are added and dropped. The Secret Service handles even larger South Lawn events yearly, including the annual Easter Egg Roll, which draws tens of thousands of attendees.
Andrew Guglielmi, Secret Service communications chief, said military support teams, plainclothes federal agents and specialized police units will be on hand, and tactical teams will have intelligence and countersurveillance capabilities.
Because of security concerns, Borsari said he had to scrap plans to use drones for video production. No matter how many times he presented the idea in White House meetings, "it was a stern no every single time," Borsari said.
The UFC also made its Ellipse fanfest a free ticketed event to help with crowd control and background checks for the potential 65,000 fans who might show up. A security perimeter, including road closures, will be created around the entire event.
D.C. Metro police will work with federal law enforcement to protect the area, Tomás Talamante, chief of staff for Mayor Muriel Bowser, told ESPN, and will have a presence inside the UFC's command center. Talamante said the UFC is covering everything except for additional security costs.
ONE FACTOR NO ONE can control is the weather, and some forecasts indicate rain and perhaps a heavy thunderstorm could roll through Washington this weekend. Borsari said the 8 p.m. start time on Sunday would help fighters and fans avoid the summer heat. Accuweather's forecast predicts highs in the low 90s.
The UFC is receiving constant weather updates from two services. Depending on forecasts, Dropick said the UFC will be told go or no-go for Sunday night and whether it would be wise to alter the event's time or date. If the event is moved after fighters weigh in, Dropick said they would not have to weigh in again.
Borsari said his two biggest weather concerns are lightning and high winds, either of which could trigger evacuation procedures.
Planners also have multiple production contingencies, including broadcast setups at the Ellipse, EEOB and inside the White House in case of emergency.
THE GUEST LIST and designs for fan seating were the subject of even more planning sessions. While military members and invited guests watch on the South Lawn, the masses will be on the Ellipse.
Borsari described the undertaking as "a beast." Two adjacent Washington streets will be closed to traffic so fans can buy merchandise and food. There will be a large main-stage screen -- the Zac Brown Band will perform Saturday after ceremonial weigh-ins -- and two massive side screens. There will be fighter appearances and another VIP section. Borsari said 700 restrooms -- White said those won't be port-a-potties, but they won't be the same quality as those on the South Lawn -- will be installed on the Ellipse.
"It would be like going to any other kind of music festival," Borsari said.
Friday night's prefight news conference will take place in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Borsari described the construction as a "soft load-in." TV trucks will park and power up three days before the event. The stage itself will be constructed earlier that day and will be dismantled following a news conference.
Dropick said at least 50 generators are being deployed for the three-day event.
"Everything that supports an event that normally would be built into a venue, you have to bring it," Dropick said.
Technical rehearsals will test every aspect of production and power. That includes fighter walk-throughs, atypical for UFC fights, to ensure smooth broadcast sight lines and provide fighters a chance to acclimate.
It's unclear whether Trump will join the broadcast. The following day, Trump is expected at the G7 Summit in France.
THE UFC SAID it is paying all costs of the $60 million production. White insisted that "we can't go over that number." The company projects it will lose money on the event. A District of Columbia spokesperson told ESPN the city will incur an estimated $10 million to $12 million in supplemental security costs, which will be paid out of a federally appropriated fund for federal events. The spokesperson said the city doesn't expect reimbursement from the UFC.
Asked to explain the apparent discrepancy, a White House official responded by email Tuesday: "UFC is funding and paying for this entire event. There are no taxpayer dollars being used outside of what would be applied towards employees normal duties and responsibilities. Any public UFC Freedom 250 cost information can be derived from public interviews conducted by Dana and other UFC/TKO executives. The [WhiteHouse] has not been involved in any cost negotiations or sponsorship discussions."
White said he is trying to recoup some funds through sponsorships. The UFC is offering sponsorship packages for a reported $1.5 million, but White said those packages don't necessarily guarantee a South Lawn seat.
"Obviously, we're trying to figure out how to bring some money in the door," White said.
The UFC negotiated the usage of sponsors on the Octagon canvas, and Borsari said the White House had to approve all canvas sponsors.
Borsari and White said the UFC also negotiated the ability to sell merchandise, food and beverage at the Ellipse. They learned in May they'd be able to do so -- with a caveat: "They get a piece of it. The government gets a piece of it," White said.
The UFC White House card is a $60 million financial gamble for White and UFC's parent company, TKO. The number of people who watch the fight, White said, will determine its success. He said he never anticipated having an event like this and that it's on his entire team -- from his staff to the fighters -- to deliver.
There are lofty goals -- the UFC's most-watched event and maybe the largest-ever audience in mixed martial arts. If it doesn't reach those metrics?
"Then it doesn't," White said.
But if that's the success barometer?
"Oops. I mean, what do you do, right?" White said. "You put on the best event you possibly can, you make the best fights that you can make and you do the right amount of promotion for it and you hope it delivers in every way, shape and form."
