Federal Lawsuit Trying To Block UFC White House Event

A federal lawsuit has been filed by two Virginia residents seeking to block UFC Freedom 250 from taking place on the White House South Lawn on June 14, with the plaintiffs targeting the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior over the event’s organization.

The lawsuit alleges that federal permitting rules were ignored and that environment reviews were skipped, while arguing The White House South lawn and nearby federal property are subject to rules that prohibit commercial structures, such as The Octagon and the LED arch being dubbed ’The Claw”, from being constructed without congressional approval. 

The plaintiffs are also claiming that this is a for profit sporting event rather than a government-run celebration, despite the UFC and White House repeatedly saying they are putting on this event to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary, thus titling it “UFC Freedom 250”.

The White House immediately pushed back on the lawsuit, calling it an attempt to derail a properly permitted celebration.