백악관의 옥타곤: 권력의 정점에서 펼쳐지는 900억 원의 정치적 쇼 > 뉴스

The resources invested for this event are beyond imagination. A huge budget of about 60 million dollars, or over 90 billion won in Korean currency, was spent, and to support this, seven federal government departments, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, provided full manpower and resources. 'The Claw', a huge structure reaching 28 meters in height, resembles a 9-story steel stage erected in the front yard of the White House, and a stadium capable of accommodating thousands of visitors has been completed. The Secret Service led the construction, controlling dozens of trucks and hundreds of construction workers every day, and the entire process proceeded smoothly under the pretext of commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

But the spectacular sports show is facing fierce anti-corruption controversy. Citizen groups, including the Public Integrity Project, have filed a lawsuit demanding that the event be halted, arguing that it is a classic example of a conflict of interest and misuse of federal facilities for personal purposes. The plaintiffs criticize the use of state public assets for the president's private birthday party without congressional approval as an abuse of power and as a preferential treatment that brings enormous publicity and economic benefits to the UFC and its president, Dana White. On the other hand, the National Park Service remains steadfast in its determination to push ahead with the competition, maintaining its stance that legal disputes cannot nullify an event that has already cost astronomical amounts of money and hundreds of thousands of hours of labor.

The atmosphere around the venue is tense, more than just a festival. Signs with the mysterious number '8647' were found throughout downtown Washington, which was interpreted as a political code implying President Trump's resignation and assassination, causing an uproar and authorities launching an investigation. '86' is a slang term for kicking out uninvited guests from restaurants, etc., and '47' refers to the 47th president. This number symbolizes the current extreme political division in the United States surrounding Trump. Nevertheless, President Trump has expressed his desire to leave the stadium as a permanent structure like the Eiffel Tower, demonstrating his strong will to combine his political legacy with sporting events.

The signing of a business agreement (MOU) between the State Department and the UFC under the name of sports diplomacy also clearly shows the political nature of this event. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that this tournament was an opportunity to show America's solidarity to one billion people around the world, but critics see this as an act of mobilizing the country's diplomatic capabilities for a personal birthday party. On the day of the tournament, title matches between world-class players such as Topuria-Gaethje and Ferreira-Gan are expected to be successful, but the stadium demolition costs and the aftereffects of the legal battle are expected to continue for a considerable period of time even after the tournament ends. Coinciding with the president's departure to France to attend the G7 summit, the White House's fighting arena will become a symbolic venue that shows how far American politics can deteriorate.