India, June 13 -- As the United States marks 250 years of independence, the UFC is preparing to stage a fight card on the grounds of the White House. The symbolism is odd and impossible to miss: a cage erected in the backyard of the most powerful political office in the world, under the banner of freedom, patriotism and the American dream. What's also hard to miss is the timing.

As Washington grapples with tensions in West Asia and military action involving Iran dominates headlines, America is simultaneously preparing a sporting spectacle celebrating its national identity.

The contrast is jarring but the idea of it all is also as 'American' as it gets. A nation capable of projecting military power across the globe is also capable of tur...