Lawsuit Seeks to Block UFC Fight at White House
A federal lawsuit filed Saturday is trying to stop next week’s planned UFC fight on the White House South Lawn. The case was brought by two Virginia residents and the Public Integrity Project.
The event is set for Sunday, June 14, just one day before a weigh-in at the Lincoln Memorial. The filing says the fight is not just a sports show. It argues the use of the White House grounds for a private, for-profit event is not allowed without congressional approval or environmental review.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs say, “This plan is deeply corrupt. The event, billed as ‘UFC Freedom 250,’ is (as the name suggests) being organized by the UFC, whose chief executive, Dana White, is a close friend and ally of the President. The President is giving White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access,”
The filing also says the event is being presented as part of America’s 250th anniversary, but argues that is not the real point. It claims the fight is instead tied to the UFC brand and to President Trump’s 80th birthday, which falls on Flag Day.
One major point in the case is the structure being built for the event. The lawsuit says the UFC is putting up a 92-foot-tall, 600-ton steel structure called “the Claw” next to the Executive Residence. It also claims the South Lawn is being damaged in the process.
Trump has already talked about the setup in a video posted to TikTok. He said, “We’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to some people. It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14. And I’m looking at it, and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down,”
https://x.com/macfarlanenews/status/2063619052308660252?s=46
The White House has also shared mock images of what the structure may look like on fight night.
https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1969474841536348519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The complaint says the administration cannot treat the White House grounds like a private entertainment venue. It argues the event would hand major promotional value to UFC CEO Dana White and to Trump himself. The filing even points to a spring report that Trump bought $50,000 in stock in UFC’s parent company.
“The Lincoln Memorial is sacred ground, and it honors everyone who has ever worn this country’s uniform,” plaintiff Paul Romano, a retired Air Force sergeant and Vietnam veteran, said in a news release. “Using it as a backdrop for a for-profit cage fight so the President and his friends can make money is a desecration.”
The case now puts a legal spotlight on a high-profile White House event that is still set to move forward unless a court steps in.