Storms, Heat Could Threaten White House UFC Event

Fight fans headed for the White House South Lawn for the UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday may find the real wildcard isn't in the octagon. Forecasters say a strong weather system moving through the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could trigger widespread severe storms from Virginia to southern New York, a zone that includes Washington, DC, the New York Times reports. The main concern: powerful winds, with the potential for large hail, lightning, and even a tornado, according to the Storm Prediction Center's Jared Guyer.

The UFC says it's planning around the threat, getting hourly updates from an on-site meteorologist and mapping out contingency options, though officials admit the timing and duration of any storms are still unclear. The event also has to contend with heat: temperatures in the nation's capital are expected to reach the 90s again Sunday after a record-challenging stretch, with high humidity pushing the heat index into triple digits through Friday. UFC organizers say they've added shade and a special cover for the canvas to keep conditions in check, drawing on experience from a 2010 outdoor card in Abu Dhabi, where fighters competed in similar heat.

"We're going to be good on Sunday," UFC boss Dana White said earlier this week, per the AP. "I don't care if it snows, rains, we're going. Even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up. Whenever there was lightning, you'd sit the lightning out. When it was over, you played. That's what we'll do." As with other outdoor events in the capital at this time of year, swarms of bugs can be expected, but fighters don't seem overly concerned, Axios reports. "I like my chances with a bug in my eye better than my opponent," fighter Michael Chandler told reporters this week. "I like my chances in 100-degree swampy heat better than my opponent—and that's all that matters."