UFC White House Card in Jeopardy as Lawsuit Threatens Dana White Passion Project

This weekend’s scheduled “UFC Freedom 250” event at The White House has encountered a potential road block during fight week.

Set to take place on Sunday, June 14 on the South Lawn of The White House, “UFC Freedom 250” features a total of seven fights and is topped by a lightweight title unification bout featuring undefeated star Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje.

The event has been advertised both as part of the 250th birthday celebration for The United States as well as the birthday of President Donald Trump. The latter date has seemingly become an area of more significant focus, as the UFC elected to hold the event on Sunday, June 14 (Trump’s birthday) rather than on July 4, which is on a Saturday this year and would have fit in more easily to the UFC’s typical event schedule.

Public Integrity Project Seeks to Halt "UFC Freedom 250"

First reported by ESPN MMA, the Public Integrity Project has filed a lawsuit in the District of Columbia in an effort to shut down “UFC Freedom 250” one week before it’s scheduled to take place.

"We think that this is a profound misuse of our sacred national monuments for private gain," said lead Public Integrity Project attorney Brendan Ballou, according to ESPN MMA. "And we think that needs to be stopped because it breaks the law."

UFC CEO Dana White (left) talks to President-elect Donald Trump ringside during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The fight week schedule for “UFC Freedom 250” includes the usual events that precede any UFC card, although this week they’re slated to take place at several significant landmarks in Washington D.C. The pre-fight press conference is currently set to feature in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, while the official weigh-ins will take place at the Ellipse on Saturday.

Ilia Topuria reacts during weigh-ins for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“Ultimately, we want to stop this fight, this weigh-in and the permanent installation of the quote-unquote claw," Ballou said. "And I want to be clear, this is not an attack on MMA in the slightest. This is an attack on the corruption that is facilitating this event."

Planning for UFC White House Event Began Last Year

Installation of “the claw” and the other features necessary to host a UFC card at The White House began several weeks ago, and last week President Trump made headlines by suggesting that it could become a permanent fixture on the South Lawn.

CEO of UFC Dana White talks with the President of the United States Donald Trump during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It’s unclear at this time if the legal proceedings will move quickly enough to either delay or outright cancel “UFC Freedom 250”, but there’s no doubt that the event has caused some division among MMA fans and also attracted plenty of criticism from the moment it was first suggested, let alone
actually planned.

CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White, speaks during the ‘Make America Great Again Victory Rally’ at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

News of the lawsuit adds an interesting twist to fight week and to an event that both President Trump and UFC CEO Dana White have repeatedly said will go down as one of the biggest sporting events ever. Fans may want to temper their expectations slightly until the next update regarding the lawsuit,
but for now “UFC Freedom 250” is expected to go ahead on Sunday with seven total fights and a pair of title bouts at the top of the bill.

"UFC Freedom 250" Fight Card

Main Event: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje – For the UFC Lightweight Championship

Co-Main Event: Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane – For the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship

Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi

Derrick Lewis vs. Josh Hokit

Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler

Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus

Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia

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