The UFC’s show at the White House on Sunday will go ahead as planned after a judge rejected a federal lawsuit alleging the event would break American law.
The one-of-a-kind show, named UFC Freedom 250, is set to take place on the South Lawn on US President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, as part of celebrations to mark 250 years of American independence.
Last week, the Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit seeking an emergency temporary restraining order over the “profound misuse of sacred national monuments for private gain”.
The group argues that the Trump administration has unlawfully organised a private sporting event on public property in violation of National Park Service rules, but Judge Amit P. Mehta has denied the challenge.
Mehta, of the US District Court in Washington DC, says the plaintiffs failed to establish that they would suffer any irreparable harm or aesthetic injury if the UFC fights were to take place.
Mehta noted that the event had been public knowledge for nearly a year, but the Public Integrity Project did not file its lawsuit until 7 June 2026 – more than two weeks after visible preparations commenced at the White House.
Mehta added the late lawsuit “undercuts their claims of irreparable harm”, and that the temporary claw-shaped structure built to host the event makes “risk of any significant environmental damage doubtful”.
The Public Integrity Project has brought several suits against Trump, including one to undo the sale of the social media app TikTok and another to stop a billion-dollar “anti-weaponisation” fund.
In response to the group, the Trump administration told the BBC: “This is an obstructionist, baseless and dilatory lawsuit brought simply to prevent President Trump from hosting what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most historic sporting events in our nation’s history during our semiquincentennial celebration.”
The White House has hosted recreational sports and events before but the UFC’s show will mark the first professional live sporting event to take place on the grounds.
The UFC has spent about $60m (£44.3m) on the event, which is headlined by a unification fight between lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.
The co-main event pits Ciryl Gane against Alex Pereira in an interim heavyweight title bout.
