Judge Dismisses Case to Halt UFC Event at the White House

On a recent Friday, a federal judge dismissed an attempt to stop the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event scheduled at the White House. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta denied the emergency motion filed by two Washington, D.C. residents. Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, the plaintiffs, argued that the mixed martial arts fights violated White House event restrictions. They also claimed the Claw structure built for the fights was illegally constructed.

Judge Mehta ruled that the plaintiffs did not prove they would experience harm from the event. Additionally, they failed to demonstrate legal standing to sue. The ‘UFC Freedom 250’ is planned for the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, coinciding with President Trump’s 80th birthday. It is part of a series of events celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Preparations for the mixed martial arts event included building the Claw, a 92-foot-tall structure to hold the Octagon. Sunday’s schedule features seven fights, while preliminary activities began Friday with a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial and fighter face-offs. The event continues Saturday with ceremonial weigh-ins at the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest on the Ellipse and a performance by the Zac Brown Band.

The White House anticipates approximately 4,000 attendees for the South Lawn fights. Additionally, an estimated 12,000 spectators will watch from the Ellipse. The event will be broadcast on Paramount+, owned by Paramount Skydance, CBS News’s parent company.

Court filings detailed the extensive preparation for the UFC event, involving more than 700 subcontractors and clearance of over 2,000 participants by the White House and U.S. Secret Service. According to Andrew Fischer, director for White House Management and Administration, UFC and affiliates invested over $60 million in event preparations.