The most politically charged sporting event in history?
Let me start by saying, I am not a political writer, nor am I up to date on American Politics, I’m not even American. However, we cannot discuss UFC Freedom 250 without discussing Donald Trump, Dana White and the strange political turmoil this event is surrounded by.
We just got our first glimpse at what the stage will look like and while it is quite the spectacle in front of the white house, transforming the lawn into an octagon arena. The symbolism of hosting a cage fight at the most politically loaded address in the world will have to be addressed.
Lets start with the crowd, who gets an invite? Politicians? Celebrities? Military figures? Fans? All options raise questions, all options raise issues.
Firstly, could it be seen as a political statement if world leaders are invited or snubbed?
Representatives and Ambassadors from Spain, Georgia and other relevant nations must surely be in attendance due to the global pull of Ilia Topuria. However, a recent poll by the CIS research institute found that 77% of Spaniards have a bad or very bad opinion of Trump.
It will be interesting to see how any invite or snub will be treated by politicians and the public alike. Trump recently threatened that a “whole civilisation would die” without an end to the war. Showing support or opposition to this event and its host will undoubtedly cause friction in one instance or another.
Following that, which celebrities will attend this event? UFC events are a haven for celebrities who want visibility, marketing or cross sport promotion. The UFC will also be wary of only hosting very Republican swaying fans. Celebrities however are the most susceptible to public opinion. A snub from Celebs could be embarrassing for the UFC and Trump.
Lastly fans, tickets have been given away for free but how and who gets the tickets. A predominantly Anti Trump crowd would be embarrassing for everyone involved. An obviously Republican crowd could be seen as an attempt to censor. Not to mention the obvious security risks of inviting people to the white house lawn. The situation will needed to be handled with care and I’m interested to see how it all unfolds.
This is undoubtedly going to be an unprecedented event. So how did we get here? The new media deal with Paramount+ and a play for cultural relevance. The deal brought the UFC into the streaming eco system. The UFC is no longer just competing against other sports, it’s competing against blockbuster film, and prestige TV.
For the UFC, this is an opportunity to stop being a niche combat sport and move into the mainstream. With this the UFC has began transitioning into spectacle and high visibility moments. This event is certainly a spectacle, an event that feels bigger than sport. Streaming platforms live on clickbait moments, things that drive subscriptions and create global conversation, a title fight on the white house lawn will definitely have that down to a T.
Right, lets talk fighters and fighting. Ilia Topuria, the champion of a new era in combat sports, after a meteoric rise with unapologetic confidence and national pride, that could see him become the first man in history to defend both the lightweight and featherweight titles. Undefeated and only approaching his prime, he is the blueprint of what a modern champion may look like hyper technical with unmatched punching power, media savvy and globally marketable. His rise wasn’t gradual, he came and conquered.
He is the fighter for the streaming era, fluent in multiple languages and a highlight reel knockout artist, he’s what a modern media deal will look for.
Topuria fights with surgical precision and calculated aggression with a sniper mentality, a fighter who doesn’t brawl or allow himself to be dragged into chaos, he dismantles people.
Now if Topuria is the future, the sniper, the surgeon, then he’s matched up with the antithesis in Justin Gaethje. Gaethje is the last great representation of the old school. An era of violence, grit and chaos defined MMA, the era of fans painted with “Just Bleed” across their topless body.
Gaethje isn’t media driven, Gaethje isn’t there for a highlight ( despite having the highest bonus percentage in the UFC), he shows up, he walks you down, he swings haymaker at your face and he tries to break the man in front of him.
Fans love him because he’s unapologetically himself and he’s there to fight. He is the embodiment of fight anyone, anywhere, a wrestler who doesn’t wrestle and loves to brawl, Some would say a symbol of the American fighting spirit. Symbolism amplified when placed on the white house lawn.
So this raises the question, who would Dana and the UFC prefer to win. The future? The man with global appeal who may flip off the president on his own lawn but is undoubtedly the biggest appeal to the new Paramount deal. Or the feel good all American, who would certainly be a feel good story. The man who would wave the stars and stripes centre stage in front of the president and the world but probably isn’t going to carry the UFC forward?
Dana has never been the best at keeping has cards to his chest. so I’m sure we’ll find out in an upcoming press conference. Whatever happens on the night, the impact will almost certainly echo beyond the scorecard.
Will a chiselled new champion, shaped perfectly to the modern era stand tall? Waving the Spanish and Georgian flags on the lawn of a president who would love to announce the world that America is the greatest. Or will the all American representing the American fighting spirit provide that red, white and blue image that will be plastered across the world? One thing is for certain, whether you see this fight as a pantomime, progress or madness. The world will be talking about the UFC.