UFC Event on White House Lawn Designated Highest Security Tier Alongside Super Bowl

UFC Freedom 250 has been designated a Special Event Assessment Review 1 event by the Department of Homeland Security, placing its security requirements on the same tier as the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500, the Kentucky Derby and major college football games.

The mixed-martial-arts card is scheduled for June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House, where an octagon has already been erected. Entrance inside the White House grounds is limited to roughly 4,000 invited guests, while a larger public audience will watch from the Ellipse outside the fence line.

The UFC Fan Fest and Watch Party on the Ellipse is free but requires advance tickets. Attendees must pass through TSA-style screening checkpoints, according to Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. Federal law already bars civilian drone flights over the National Capital Region.

McLeese said the Secret Service will fly its own law-enforcement drones for surveillance and asked the public to report any other aircraft they see. U.S. Park Police for the event.

McLeese said the combined public-safety operation draws on experience handling multiple large-scale events in the capital each year. For the first time, the annual Fourth of July fireworks display on the National Mall will be designated a National Special Security Event, with security measures comparable to those used for presidential inaugurations.

Spectators will be directed to designated screening points rather than being allowed to walk directly onto the Mall with chairs or blankets.

McLeese also noted that Secret Service uniformed officers and agents have responded to three shootings in the past two months. One incident occurred at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when a man allegedly tried to enter the screening area with a firearm. A second shooting took place near the Washington Monument when a man allegedly fired at a uniformed officer.