A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit seeking to block the UFC's planned White House event, clearing the way for the unprecedented show to take place on the South Lawn as part of celebrations marking 250 years of American independence.
The event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, is scheduled for US President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and is expected to be the first professional live sporting event held on White House grounds.
Last week, the Public Integrity Project filed an emergency lawsuit, arguing that the event represented a "profound misuse of sacred national monuments for private gain" and violated National Park Service regulations by hosting a private sporting spectacle on public property.
However, Judge Amit P. Mehta of the US District Court in Washington, DC, denied the request for a temporary restraining order, ruling that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate they would suffer irreparable harm or aesthetic injury if the event proceeded.
In his decision, Mehta noted that plans for the event had been publicly known for nearly a year, yet the lawsuit was not filed until 7 June 2026 — more than two weeks after visible preparations had begun at the White House.
The delay, he wrote, undermined the group's claims of urgency and irreparable harm. Mehta also expressed doubt that the temporary claw-shaped arena structure would cause significant environmental damage.
The Public Integrity Project has previously filed several legal challenges against the Trump administration, including efforts to overturn the sale of TikTok and halt a proposed billion-dollar "anti-weaponisation" fund.
Responding to the lawsuit, the White House described it as "an obstructionist, baseless and dilatory" attempt to prevent what it called one of the most historic sporting events in American history during the nation's semiquincentennial celebrations.
While the White House has hosted recreational sporting activities in the past, UFC Freedom 250 will mark the first professional combat sports event staged on the grounds.
The UFC has reportedly invested around $60 million (£44.3 million) in the event. The card is set to be headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim title-holder Justin Gaethje, while Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira are scheduled to meet in an interim heavyweight championship contest.
