A lawsuit filed Saturday against the federal government asks a judge to cancel the Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for this week on the White House lawn.
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The lawsuit, brought by the watchdog group Public Integrity Project on behalf of two plaintiffs, is another case in which private citizens and activist groups have tried to block a project promoted by President Donald Trump.
The event is a fight night said to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and is scheduled for June 14, President Trump’s birthday.
UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime Trump ally and campaign surrogate, denied the timing of the event was a celebration of Trump’s birthday, according to the complaint. But according to the complaint, White acknowledged that the fight was Trump’s idea.
Prior to the event, a 92-foot-tall, 600-ton fighting ring called “The Crow” was constructed on the South Lawn of the White House.
The suit describes the fight as “private” and “commercial,” and alleges that the UFC “cannibalizes” the cost of the event and is not selling tickets, but that “this event is likely to be profitable for UFC and its partners.”
The lawsuit names the National Park Service and members of its leadership as defendants, as well as the Department of the Interior and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The Public Integrity Project filed the lawsuit on behalf of two plaintiffs, activist Susan Douglas and Vietnam War veteran Paul Romano, who allege in the complaint that they suffered “aesthetic” and “procedural harm” as a result of the planned event.
The White House and National Park Service did not respond to requests for comment. The UFC, which is not named as a defendant, did not respond to requests for comment.
The White House promoted the event on X Sunday night, posting a video of “The Claw” being made along with clips of Trump at past UFC events and saying it would be “the biggest fight in UFC history.”
The post was captioned: “Stay strong. Coming down soon.”
The lawsuit alleges that the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, where the players’ weigh-in ceremony was supposed to take place before the game, were improperly used for the event and that “The Crow” was installed without Congressional approval.
The lawsuit also alleges that the UFC and its partners stand to profit from the fight, saying the organization sells VIP and sponsorship packages. And while some prequels will air on the cable network, it claims the “main card” will air exclusively on CBS’ streaming service Paramount+.
The lawsuit also alleges that Trump himself stands to benefit from the proceeds of the fight. President Trump’s financial disclosures last month revealed that he invested between $15,000 and $50,000 in TKO, the parent company of the UFC, in March.
Last year, President Trump hosted a military parade to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Army. The event took place on his birthday.
The administration is facing a lawsuit from a group seeking to block construction of President Trump’s banquet hall in the east wing of the White House. A lower court temporarily halted construction, but the Trump administration appealed the decision.
The administration was also sued by groups seeking to block construction of the Arc de Triomphe near Arlington National Cemetery.
