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A federal judge ruled Friday that the White House can move forward with hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the South Lawn this weekend, rejecting an effort to block the high-profile event tied to President Donald Trump.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta denied a request for an injunction filed by two Virginia residents who argued the administration unlawfully approved the event.
In his ruling, Mehta said the plaintiffs failed “to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm.”
The lawsuit challenged a series of planned events connected to the UFC weekend, including a Friday press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, a ceremonial weigh-in and concert at the Ellipse on Saturday and Sunday’s fight card on the White House South Lawn.
The plaintiffs claimed the temporary arena, known as the “Claw,” violated National Park Service rules, lacked proper permitting and should have undergone environmental review.
Judge Mehta dismissed those arguments, finding the plaintiffs had not shown they were directly harmed by the event, despite claims that the structure was “hideous” and diminished their enjoyment of the capital.
The judge also rejected arguments tied to anticipated protests and road closures near the White House, concluding the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.
Even if standing had been established, Mehta wrote that the lawsuit failed to demonstrate irreparable harm and criticized what he described as an unreasonable delay in filing the case.
He further agreed with the government that canceling the event days before it begins would create substantial disruption, given the months of planning, labor, and expense already invested.
Lawyers with the Public Integrity Project had described the event in court filings as a corrupt spectacle.
“Such a volcano of corruption, if allowed to go forward, will mark an inflection point in American history,” the group argued.
The U.S. Department of Justice defended the event as lawful, comparing it to longstanding White House traditions such as the Easter Egg Roll, state dinners, the Congressional Picnic and a 2022 concert by Elton John.
