Trump: Construction on UFC arena ‘The Claw’ starts next week
OAN Staff Jenna Lee
3:56 PM – Friday, May 1, 2026
President Donald Trump announced that construction of a UFC arena dubbed “The Claw” is set to begin next week on the White House South Lawn.
The temporary arena will have seating for 5,000 spectators and is planned to host UFC’s “Freedom 250” event on June 14th, headlined by a bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
Trump shared his plans with One America‘s Daniel Baldwin on the South Lawn.
“Well, they have some of the greatest champions in the world. The arena, they’re going to start building it over the next week, it’s right here,” Trump told reporters. “It’ll be about 5,000 feet. They’ll have 100,000 people down by the Ellipse with screens, and it’s all free. It’s going to be great.”
The UFC arena is being constructed in Lititz, Pennsylvania, a rural town west of Philadelphia. The organization is also expected to spend roughly $60 million on the event.
Although “The Claw” has a capacity for 5,000, tens of thousands more are expected to watch from the Ellipse, the open area between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
UFC organizers will pass out 85,000 free tickets, according to UFC President Dana White.
The president is a frequent attendee at UFC events—most recently at UFC 327 in Miami—and maintains a close relationship with White.
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