WASHINGTON — A U.S. District Court judge rejected a request for an emergency restraining order to halt the Ultimate Fighting Championship event planned for Sunday on the White House grounds.Judge Amit Mehta ruled Friday that the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project failed to establish standing to bring the lawsuit or demonstrate that they would suffer any irreparable harm if the events proceed.“Even if Plaintiffs had established standing, the court still would deny emergency relief because Plaintiffs have not proven irreparable harm,” Mehta wrote in his decision.He also chided the plaintiffs for an “unreasonable delay in filing suit” and said that bringing the case just eight days before the event “undercuts their claims of irreparable harm.”Brendan Ballou, an attorney for the plaintiffs, expressed disappointment in the ruling in a statement released Friday.“This isn’t a case about a sporting event, it’s about corruption, as a handful of people and companies stand to profit from our public monuments,” Ballou said. “While we’re disappointed in this decision, we of course respect it, and we’ll keep bringing cases to raise the cost of corruption in America.”UFC Freedom 250 is set to be the first professional sports event staged on the White House grounds and coincides with President Trump’s 80th birthday.The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of two Virginia residents, Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, who said they frequent the area and are offended that the events are being held outside national monuments.The lawsuit called the plan to hold a pre-fight event at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday and to stage the bouts on the White House grounds Sunday “deeply corrupt.” The lawsuit argued that the president is doing a favor for UFC chief executive Dana White, a close friend and ally, which violates numerous federal rules and regulations.“The President is giving White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access,” the lawsuit said.In his ruling, Mehta also noted the investment made to stage the event. “The potential loss of those dollars resulting from a last-minute, court-ordered stoppage cannot be ignored. A grant of emergency relief on the eve of UFC Freedom 250 would cause substantial harm.”Preparations for the event have included the erection of a 600-ton steel arch on the South Lawn of the White House.In his ruling, Mehta noted that while the plaintiffs described structures built for UFC 250 as “hideous,” “grotesque,” and “disgusting,” they had failed to satisfy “their burden at this stage to show a substantial likelihood of a cognizable aesthetic injury.”“The court rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous effort to halt the historic UFC event hosted to honor the 250th anniversary of our Nation,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. “The White House is thankful for this correct decision and looks forward to hosting this once-in-a-lifetime celebration on the South Lawn.”The National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior were listed as defendants in the lawsuit. It asked the court to declare authorizations for the event and for the construction of the arena unlawful.“Federal law tightly restricts private use of the national capital’s most sacred monumental spaces, which are national parklands,” the lawsuit stated. It contended that under the National Park Service’s usual permitting regime, “no special events of any sort, including any sporting events, may be held on the South Lawn or at the Lincoln Memorial.”White has said UFC is spending $60 million on the show’s production and will foot the $700,000 bill in restorations to the South Lawn after the event.The fight card is headlined by a lightweight title fight between defending champion Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, as well as an interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.Jun 12, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms