UFC CEO Dana White has been having nightmares about the outdoor weather conditions for the UFC Freedom 250. However, UFC’s Chief Content Officer, Craig Borsari, is a bit more relaxed. While appearing in an interview with Niko Pajarillo of Fox Sports Australia, Borsari, who has moved to Washington, DC, for preparation for the event, has revealed the contingency plans for White’s nightmare scenario.

“We are having very regular contingency calls about the various inclement weather scenarios that could prevent us from moving forward,” Borsari said. “On those calls, trust me, they’re not fun because it’s just doom and gloom every time someone throws out a different scenario, whether it be lightning, high winds, heavy rains, or a combination of all three, which is even worse.”

Washington, DC, has unpredictable weather in June. It can, and often does, experience a combination of lightning, high winds, and heavy rain, typically from thunderstorms. However, most days in June are predicted to be warm and humid, with a mix of sun and scattered showers/thunderstorms. According to Timeanddate, the weather in Washington, DC, around the same time last year was mostly sunny to partly cloudy, with occasional thunderstorms and rain.

Temperatures ranged from as low as 53 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Still, severe events aren’t out of the realm of possibility depending on weather patterns. So, it begs the question: what’s the solution? Borsari claims regular weather forecasting has the answer.

“And the answer really is we have the ability to get the most advanced and accurate weather forecasting throughout the week,” he added. “So, 10 days out, we’ll be getting very regular updates on weather. 7 days out, we’ll be getting hourly updates on forecasting. And at that moment, starting at 7 days out, we will then start having the conversations about what it is looking like. Do we need to pivot? Do we potentially need to move the start time earlier or later?

“And then we also have the scenario of, hey, the weather is unpredictable. Maybe the weather service is not going to predict every weather condition that we might face over the 3 or 4 hours that we’re live. And in those scenarios, we have plans in place as well. But weather is a real thing.”

It’s smart to plan ahead for every outcome so that a tailored contingency plan can be created for each type of weather disruption. But when it comes to events out in the open, there is only so much you can control.

The last time the UFC staged an outdoor event was at UFC 112: Invincible in Abu Dhabi back in April 2010. While the desert heat posed its own challenges, the weather was at least predictable, and the event unfolded without any major issues. In Washington, however, the forecast is far less certain. UFC CEO Dana White previously, during a livestream with Adin Ross, claimed that lightning remains the only weather problem that can disastrously affect the event.

But as it turns out, weather isn’t the UFC’s only concern with the June 14 event.

Dana White reveals second concern for UFC White House

Not that long ago, White spoke on the Boardroom podcast. He recalled attending a recent dinner hosted by President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden. And White revealed being surprised by the number of insects there.

“President Trump just opened the Rose Garden two nights ago, and he invited me to dinner there,” White said. “The amount of gnats that were flying around. I’m like, ‘Holy s—t.’”

The issue could become significant during the outdoor fight card. And that’s thanks to the powerful lighting required for a UFC production. The UFC CEO explained that the lighting rigs could attract “moths, gnats, and God knows what else.” And it could potentially affect fighters.

To address the problem, White said he suggested installing large fans around the venue.

“Gnats have a hard time in the wind,” he noted. “These are all the little details that we have to think about. That’s why I don’t like fighting outside. Ever.”

It appears Dana White and the UFC have prepared for the worst-case scenario. But do you think the weather can still literally pour water on their plans?