Donald Trump and CEO UFC Dana White are set to hold a highly anticipated UFC event on the White House South Lawn after overcoming a last-minute legal hurdle brought by two Virginia residents.
The lawsuit sought to block the event from taking place this weekend. The plaintiffs claimed the proposed boxing event had little to do with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence and was not sponsored by the federal government.
A court has denied a motion to block a UFC event hosted by Donald Trump.
Two Virginia residents, Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, tried to block a UFC event scheduled to take place this weekend on the White House South Lawn, but their lawsuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
The court's ruling on Friday clears the way for the long-awaited event, organized by White and supported by Trump.
Judge Mehta ruled against the plaintiffs, a political activist and a retired Air Force sergeant, finding they had no standing to challenge the event and had failed to prove how it would harm or impact them.
«"Plaintiffs have failed to prove that they are 'directly affected' by defendants' actions," Mehta said in his lengthy ruling, as reported by The Hill.
The judge points out exceptions to the requirements for special permits.
In their statement, two Virginia residents, represented by the Public Integrity Project, claimed that the UFC event had little to do with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. They also claimed that the event was not planned or executed by the federal government.
The plaintiffs also described the event as "deeply corrupt," citing allegations that Trump may have benefited financially from it because he reportedly purchased up to $50,000 worth of shares in UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings earlier this year.
While Judge Mehta did not address the corruption allegations in his ruling, he defended the event's legality, saying it fell under special exceptions to permit requirements established for celebrations commemorating America's 250th anniversary.
The Donald Trump administration sharply criticized the failure of the lawsuit.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, a Trump administration official issued a statement calling it "obstructionist, baseless, and a drag on the process.".
After the lawsuit was dismissed, the White House issued a statement thanking the judge for clearing the way for the event and rejecting the arguments made by Douglas and Romano.
«"The court rightly rejected the untimely and frivolous attempt to stop the UFC's historic event celebrating our nation's 250th anniversary," White House press secretary Davis Ingle said.
The statement continued: "The White House is grateful for this right decision and looks forward to hosting this unique celebration on the South Lawn.".
Weather concerns cloud UFC event featuring Donald Trump.
Severe thunderstorms in Washington forced organizers to postpone the official press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, sparking outrage among fans due to the inconvenience.
Although the press conference eventually took place, concerns about the weather remain. Rain is still forecast, potentially affecting some events.
UFC management confirmed that rain alone will not be enough to stop the fights. However, any lightning strike within the designated safety zone will result in the immediate evacuation of the venue.
While contingency plans have been put in place to address potential weather-related disruptions, it remains unclear how effective they will be in the event of a significant deterioration in the situation, particularly in terms of ensuring uninterrupted broadcasts to viewers at home.
The best fighters will perform at the UFC tournament in the White House.
Viewers at home will also be able to watch the event on CBS or Paramount+, which have reportedly reached broadcast deals with the UFC broadcast rights organization.
The fight card is expected to feature many exciting fights, especially in the main event of the evening between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC lightweight title.
Another highly anticipated fight will be the bout between Alex Pereira and Cyril Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
Elsewhere, Sean O'Malley will face Aymann Zahabi in a bantamweight bout, while rising stars Bo Nickal and Mauricio Ruffi will look to make a name for themselves in their respective middleweight and lightweight bouts.
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