White House calls lawsuit trying to stop Trump's UFC fight 'obstructionist' – KTXS
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by KAYLA GASKINS | The National News Desk
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WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump’s planned UFC fight on the White House South Lawn is facing a new legal challenge just days before the event is scheduled to take place.
Two Virginia residents filed a federal lawsuit over the weekend seeking an emergency injunction to stop “UFC Freedom 250,” a high-profile mixed martial arts event planned as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th birthday.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court against the National Park Service and Department of the Interior, argues the event represents an improper use of federal property and raises concerns about potential financial and political conflicts of interest.
The plaintiffs describe the event as “deeply corrupt,” citing Trump’s longstanding friendship with UFC CEO Dana White and alleging the arrangement provides White with “unfettered access to the White House.”
The suit also claims Trump could personally benefit financially from the event’s commercial success, alleging the president purchased roughly $50,000 worth of stock earlier this year in TKO Group Holdings — the parent company of UFC.
In addition to ethics concerns, the lawsuit argues organizers failed to complete required environmental reviews and improperly relied on a special federal exemption tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations to authorize the event.
The White House pushed back against the lawsuit Sunday in an emailed statement to multiple media outlets, calling the case “obstructionist” and without merit.
Officials also argued the UFC event is “no different” from other large-scale public events hosted on White House grounds.
Preparations for the event continued on Monday as crews worked on the South Lawn ahead of Sunday’s planned fight card.
Legal experts say the lawsuit faces significant hurdles, particularly given the short timeline before the event.
Fishwick also questioned whether the plaintiffs have legal standing to challenge the event in court.
“I think it’s uphill for a judge to step in with just a few days to go,” Fishwick said. “And if some judge did do that, I think it would be quickly appealed. I think the event is going to go forward on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, TKO President Mark Shapiro told investors in February that the company does not expect to profit from the event, which is estimated to cost roughly $60 million to produce.
