Judge clears UFC White House event to go ahead this weekend

A federal judge has ruled that this weekend’s UFC event at the White House can go ahead after rejecting an emergency legal challenge seeking to block it.

Judge Amit P. Mehta of the federal district court in Washington, DC denied the injunction request filed by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two activists, according to court records.

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The case argued that UFC Freedom 250 would amount to the “unauthorized, commercial exploitation” of public landmarks and raised concerns about possible environmental damage linked to the temporary “claw” structure being built on the White House South Lawn.

However, Mehta ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show they would suffer direct harm from the event and also noted the lawsuit was filed too late, despite preparations for the event being publicly visible for weeks.

“The court rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous effort to halt the historic UFC event hosted to honor the 250th anniversary of our Nation,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to ESPN.

The UFC event will include a news conference at the Lincoln Memorial, ceremonial weigh-ins on The Ellipse and the main fight card on the White House South Lawn on on Sunday.

Mehta also said the government’s argument regarding the potential loss of the $60 million invested in the event “cannot be ignored”.

Attorney Brendan Ballou, representing the Public Integrity Project, criticised the decision, saying: “This isn't a case about a sporting event, it's about corruption.”