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WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) – A federal judge declined on Friday to block President Donald Trump from hosting a special Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts event on the White House grounds, letting the fights set to be held on Sunday inside a towering new structure proceed.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled against, opens new tab two Washington-area residents who argued in a lawsuit that Trump’s administration exceeded its authority in staging the event, dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” by, among other things, failing to obtain congressional authorization. The plaintiffs had sought a judicial order to block the event.
Mehta said the two challengers “fall short of showing they are ‘directly affected’ by defendants’ actions.” The court also said the plaintiffs had unreasonably delayed bringing their lawsuit.
The Trump administration said in a court filing, opens new tab that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed in their claims as they had not shown how they would be harmed by the UFC event. There is a history of holding public events on the White House South Lawn, the Justice Department told Mehta.
The White House and lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The UFC event is scheduled to take place on Trump’s 80th birthday as part of the Republican president’s plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. The event features mixed martial arts bouts contested in an octagonal cage situated inside a 92-foot-tall (28-meter-tall) claw-like structure erected in recent weeks on the White House’s South Lawn. The administration said more than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend the fights.
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