There’s a reason why Dana White has always had reservations about hosting events outside the usual venues.
Following UFC Vegas 118 at the Meta Apex, the next destination for the Octagon will be Washington D.C.
It’s been a year in the making, but the UFC event scheduled to take place on the White House lawn is set for next Sunday, with names like Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira expected to feature.
But there’s still a question mark hanging over whether it will go ahead. The one thing that could force a cancellation hasn’t been ruled out just yet.
Thunderstorm risk looms over UFC White House event, forecasts show 39% chance
Dana White has always pushed back on the idea of outdoor events, mostly because of the risks tied to weather and other factors outside the sport’s control.
UFC executive producer Craig Borsari told the main event that there are several backup plans ready for the day. He explained that while the event can go ahead in “light to moderate” rain, any sign of lightning would force a stoppage.
“I would say, light to maybe moderate rain, we will try to continue to move forward and conclude the event,” he said. “Anything beyond that, whether it’s increased winds or high winds – we clearly need to shut down if lightning is within eight miles of the Octagon.”
The latest update from AccuWeather suggests that this exact scenario is not out of the question. The forecast for UFC Freedom 250, which is scheduled to begin at 8 PM ET, currently predicts a 65 per cent chance of rain.
Borsari mentioned that they might consider shifting the start time based on how weather predictions develop closer to fight night.
A cancellation due to thunderstorms wouldn’t just be costly—estimates suggest around $60 million has already been invested in putting this card together—it would also delay two highly anticipated matchups: Pereira’s historic three-division title shot against Ciryl Gane and Topuria’s title unification bout with Justin Gaethje.
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