UFC Event Draws Fans to White House Grounds for Weekend Fights

Fans gathered at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday night to watch fighters prepare for Sunday bouts in an octagon constructed on White House grounds. The fighters entered past the memorial's marble statue before addressing reporters at a news conference.

Tracy Philbeck and his son Levi traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to support American fighter Justin Gaethje in his lightweight title match against Georgian Ilia Topuria. Philbeck predicted an enthusiastic reaction from supporters if Gaethje wins.

David Halstead flew from Albany, Australia, to attend the event. He credited the president with increasing the sport's visibility.

The UFC reported spending $60 million on the weekend activities. The president described the gathering as the greatest show on Earth. The Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit seeking to block the use of federal land for the commercial event, calling it a private use of national monuments. A federal judge ruled Friday that the fights could proceed.

Polling conducted in February and March indicated that about one in ten U.S. adults identify as mixed martial arts fans. The same survey found fans are more likely to be male, nonwhite, and Republican than the general population. Ricardo Rodriguez, 24, said not all viewers support the president and noted that audiences do not always expect knockouts.

Ellie Louizes drove from Daytona Beach, Florida, with her boyfriend to attend; she said many women enter the sport through partners and described female fighters as often more aggressive. At a UFC-sponsored event at the District of Columbia's Midtown Youth Academy, fighter Randy Brown sparred with local teenagers.