Topline
UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday is shaping up to experience high heat, showers and possibly a thunderstorm, according to the National Weather Service’s latest forecast, throwing into question whether the fight card will go off without a hitch.
Key Facts
The NWS forecast a high of 94 degrees Fahrenheit in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. EDT.
The main card, which features two title fights, is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
After 5 p.m., showers are “likely” alongside a possibility of a thunderstorm, according to the NWS, which noted wind gusts could reach as high as 23 mph.
The chance of precipitation for Sunday is 60% as of the NWS’s Saturday forecast.
Will The UFC Cancel The Fight Over Inclement Weather?
Unlikely. The space in front of the White House where the fights will be held features a 92-foot canopy that can shield the cage from rain, unlike many parts of the spectator seating areas. UFC chief content officer Craig Borsari told Fox Sports the event would continue even if “light to maybe moderate rain” began falling. High winds and lightning within eight miles of the event will cause a delay, Borsari added. UFC chief Dana White said this week, “Lightning is the only thing. We’d have to wait it out… and then do the fight.”
Big Number
Over $60 million. That is how much the event has cost to put together, according to a court filing from the National Park Service, which granted the permits for UFC Freedom 250. The UFC typically spends $2 million to $3 million a month on its marquee events.
Key Background
White is a longtime friend of President Donald Trump’s and gave speeches supporting his candidacy at the previous three Republican National Conventions. Trump backed the UFC in its earliest days, offering the Trump Taj Mahal as a venue for UFC 31 and UFC 32 in 2001. White has said there is “nothing transactional” about his relationship with the president and told Forbes, “He knows the day he asked me to do this event that I was going to show up and deliver.” White acknowledged to Forbes that most people “probably” see the UFC as politically aligned with Trump, “but you’re never going to change those guys’ [minds] anyway. If you have the opportunity to have a fight at the White House, Obama, Trump, Bush, Reagan, no matter who’s in there, why would you not do it?”
Further Reading
Inside Dana White’s $60 Million Plan To Stage UFC Freedom 250 At The White House (Forbes)