UFC Delays White House Freedom 250 by 45 Minutes as Thunderstorms Threaten Trump's 80th Birthday Card
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Jun 15
UFC Delays White House Freedom 250 by 45 Minutes as Thunderstorms Threaten Trump's 80th Birthday Card
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 15
Summary
A 45-minute weather delay pushed UFC Freedom 250 at the White House from its planned 8 p.m. ET start to shortly before 9 p.m., when Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia opened the seven-fight card.
Thunderstorms moving in from West Virginia triggered the postponement, with broadcast officials saying any lightning strike within a six-mile radius would force a 30-minute shelter-in-place order.
The main safety concern was lightning rather than rain or wind, though the broadcast said conditions were expected to clear by 9 p.m. ET.
All 14 fighters had been warned a delay was possible, but UFC CEO Dana White had vowed the event would still take place Sunday, headlined by Ilia Topuria's lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje.