Federal judge clears the way for UFC's White House event after last-minute lawsuit fails

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta dismissed a last-minute legal challenge to the UFC’s White House event on Friday, clearing the way for the card to proceed as scheduled on Sunday night.

Plaintiffs Susan Douglas and Paul Romano filed an emergency application on June 7, 2026, seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the event. Their argument centred on two claims: that staging a commercial MMA card on public grounds would improperly commercialise public space, and that the construction of a large structure known as “the claw” on the White House south lawn — along with a press conference planned at the Lincoln Memorial — risked damaging protected landmarks. They also contended that government officials should have sought congressional approval before the UFC began building on the grounds.

Judge Mehta rejected both lines of argument. In his written ruling, he stated: “Because Plaintiffs fail to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm, and because the equities and public interest weigh against emergency relief, Plaintiffs’ Emergency Application for a Temporary Restraining Order or, in the Alternative, an Expedited Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 3, is denied.”

The judge also took direct aim at the timing of the lawsuit. Construction equipment began arriving at the White House around May 20, 2026, with work on the claw starting six days later — yet the plaintiffs waited until June 7 to seek emergency relief, more than two weeks after visible preparations were underway.

“The public has known that the White House would be hosting a UFC fight event since President Trump first announced it in July 2025,” Mehta wrote. “Plaintiffs, however, waited until June 7, 2026 — more than two weeks after visible preparations commenced at the White House — to seek emergency relief.”

With the ruling handed down, the UFC White House card proceeds on Sunday with fights beginning at 8 p.m. ET.