Trump’s UFC cage was built to frame the White House

When designing the stage for the UFC fights that will take place on the White House lawn on Sunday, June 14, there was one nonnegotiable feature: Viewers had to be able to see the White House in all its glory. To find a stage that could host a mixed martial arts bout without obstructing the view of the “People’s House,” ESPN reports that the government turned to a design called “The Claw.” Created by the Belgium-based event-staging company Stageco, the tent that’s being used made its debut at the 2017 Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands. An aerial view of the Lowlands “Beta” Stage (with a green tent covering, center), ca. 2017. [Photo: Hugo Kurk/iStock/Getty Images Plus] It is made of two criss-crossing arches but was adapted slightly for the South Lawn, heightened by 20 feet and widened by 50 feet to sit over the octagonal ring. The structure was chosen because it provides an unobstructed view of the White House and Washington Monument, depending on which direction you’re seated. It also holds the temporary venue’s heavy lighting and speakers. Stageco shipped the set from Europe in pieces, and it was assembled first in Pennsylvania as a test-build by the live events production company Tait, which is working with the UFC for the Freedom 250 event. The stage was then driven in four pieces to the White House. Matting was placed on the lawn to protect the grass before crews started setting up the stage. [Photo: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg/Getty Images] The site on the South Lawn is one of three the UFC has prepared for the fights. Press conferences will be held at the Lincoln Memorial, and the weigh-ins will take place on the Ellipse. It’s an expansive production, especially considering the mixed martial arts league typically holds all those activities in a single location. [Photo: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg/Getty Images] Pro sports comes to the White House The White House has hosted an ice skating rink wit