Lawsuit seeks to block UFC Freedom 250 White House event

A federal lawsuit filed over the weekend aims to stop UFC Freedom 250 from taking place at the White House on June 14.

The Public Integrity Project filed the complaint Saturday in District of Columbia federal court, alleging the Department of Interior and National Park Service broke federal law by allowing a private sporting event on public property without proper authorization, ESPN's Michael Rothstein reports. The suit claims the UFC's construction on the South Lawn required congressional approval because the site is federal parkland and that organizers failed to conduct a mandatory environmental review. An emergency application for a preliminary injunction followed Sunday morning.

Public Integrity Project says UFC event breaks federal law

Lead attorney Brendan Ballou told ESPN the lawsuit targets what he called a misuse of national monuments. "We think that this is a profound misuse of our sacred national monuments for private gain," Ballou said. "And we think that needs to be stopped because it breaks the law." He added that the suit is not about MMA itself but about what he described as corruption facilitating the event.

The complaint also raises financial concerns about the reported $1.5 million sponsorship packages, the exclusive Paramount+ streaming requirement, and potential advertisements at the White House and Lincoln Memorial. The suit argues UFC Freedom 250 does not qualify for a temporary rule permitting special events tied to America's 250th anniversary celebrations, claiming the card is organized to celebrate the UFC and President Donald Trump's 80th birthday rather than the country's semiquincentennial.

A Trump administration official dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to ESPN, calling it "obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory" and comparing the event to other permitted gatherings on the South Lawn and National Mall. The UFC has not commented. Dana White previously told ESPN the event would cost up to $60 million and is being financed entirely by his organization. Ballou said he expects a ruling on the emergency injunction this week, with the news conference set for Friday at the Lincoln Memorial and weigh-ins Saturday at the Ellipse.

Source: espn.com