Ultimate Fighting Championship’s tentpole show at the White
House has gone up in smoke.
Federal judge Amit Mehta from the District Court for the District
of Columbia
issued an opinion on the lawsuit filed by the Public Integrity
Project to halt the
UFC White House card. The memorandum was filed on Friday, which
denied the motion to establish a temporary restraining order to
halt the event until the court can fully rule on the matters. The
court indicated that the plaintiffs had not fully demonstrated
standing—that is, the right to bring a lawsuit—or that they have
suffered a demonstrable, actual harm that they would suffer should
this show carry on.
In order to establish standing, the plaintiffs have to establish
that they were or are about to be injured physically, financially,
etc. They must also show a link between that injury and what they
are suing about, to show the causal connection between the two.
Finally, those parties have to allege that the court ruling on
their side will protect them from that harm. On the first criteria,
the court said the plaintiffs failed based on the lack of
documentable injuries, and that this court would not hear a
“generalized grievance.”
Hideous, grotesque and disgusting
The plaintiffs also claimed that the construction of the “Claw,”
the stage and structure in which the UFC has erected to hold the
fights, is causing them a form of injury. Calling the creation of
steel and glass “hideous,” “grotesque” and “disgusting,” the
plaintiffs expressed that this would “diminish the personal
enjoyment” and “experience of beauty” of looking at the National
Mall without this new creation in the way. The court found this
venture also unsuccessful, as the parties have to be “directly
affected” by what the UFC and government did.
The court also argued that the plaintiffs have not demonstrated
that holding this fight card would cause the parties—and the
populace at large—substantial harm that is practically guaranteed
to happen. It cannot be imagined or perceived, and has to be
expected or calculated properly. If the plaintiffs had actually
wished to stop the harm done to them and other individuals, judge
Mehta continued, they would have filed the suit much sooner than a
week before the event. The fight card will proceed as scheduled,
barring any weather complications on Sunday evening.
READ: https://t.co/Srjxb2FfHl
— Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP) (@LTGetsPolitical)
June 12, 2026