UFC's Freedom 250 At White House Getting Super Bowl-Like Security, DHS Says
UFC's Freedom 250 Getting Super Bowl-Like Security ... Homeland Security Says
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Freedom 250 at the White House will be one of the most secure places on the planet, TMZ Sports has learned.
According to an official from the Department of Homeland Security, Freedom 250, going down on the South Lawn on June 14, has been designated a Level 1 Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) ... meaning multiple federal law enforcement agencies will be involved in keeping fighters, teams, and throngs of fans safe.
Officials take importance, attendance, visibility, and risk assessment into account when designating an event ... and level 1 is reserved for events like the Super Bowl and major marathons.
The Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby have traditionally been SEAR 2, while the Masters is SEAR 3.
Of course, it's a uniquely challenging event to protect ... as upwards of 90k fans are expecting to descend on the area around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A large majority of those people will not actually be on the White House grounds, but instead across the street at The Ellipse, where stands and video boards will be set up.
Several thousand fans are expected to be seated around the Octagon on the South Lawn as the Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria headlined card goes down.
Fight Night won't be the only event receiving extra scrutiny when it comes to security ... the UFC Fan Fest on June 13 is also SEAR 1.
As for which agencies will be involved, and who will do what, we're told plans are still being formulated, and likely won't be finalized for a couple of weeks.