UFC President Dana White has voiced apprehension regarding the potential for flying insects to become a significant issue during the upcoming UFC event scheduled to take place at the White House on June 14. While logistics and other aspects of the event have reportedly been finalized, White highlighted a particular concern after a recent dinner with President Donald Trump.
During a podcast with Boardroom, White recounted his experience dining in the Rose Garden, where he observed numerous small flies. He expressed concern that these insects, along with moths and other airborne creatures, could pose a distraction and a nuisance to the fighters and attendees during the event, especially given the lighting and heat generated by the production setup. White admitted that this experience reinforces his preference against holding fights in open-air venues.
“Imagine you’re a fighter, think about that lighting system, that claw-like structure we’ll set up,” White stated. “All that power and the heat radiating from the lights… Moths, flies, and who knows what else… The fighters will be trying to deal with those on one hand. That’s exactly why I don’t like fighting outdoors.”
To mitigate this potential problem, White has already instructed his production manager to consider installing fans. He explained that wind can make it difficult for flies to navigate and cause a disturbance. “Just imagine bugs and flies getting into the fighters’ mouths and noses while they’re fighting… I told my production manager Craig, ‘Maybe we’ll put up some fans, because flies have a hard time in windy conditions.’ I don’t know, these are all those little details we have to think about.”