Government responds to suit, says UFC Freedom 250 violates no laws

Michael Rothstein
Jun 10, 2026, 12:09 AM ET

U.S. government attorneys claim the Department of Interior and the National Park Service violated no federal laws in allowing the UFC Freedom 250 card, which will be held on the South Lawn of the White House, to occur this weekend on federal property. ... The claim comes in response to an emergency injunction application filed last weekend in District of Columbia federal court by the Public Integrity Project in an attempt to halt the event, which is Sunday.

The lawsuit claims the DOI and the NPS violated federal law by organizing a private sporting event on public property and failing to obtain congressional approval for the UFC's structures on federal land at the White House and Lincoln Memorial, and that there was no environmental review before undertaking the building of the UFC's "claw" stadium at the White House.

The government disputed those claims and argued an injunction would harm the defendants and its affiliated parties (the UFC) because of "well over $60 million" spent and "tens of thousands of hours of labor" expended in preparation of the event. This, the government argued, outweighs the plaintiffs' harm if an injunction is not granted. ... "This is a desperate last-ditch attempt to attack the celebration of America's 250th Birthday by people who hate fun," United States Department of Justice senior media affairs manager Natalie Balassarre wrote in an email to ESPN. "The Department will continue to support these patriotic events."

The government response also stated the "plaintiffs' delay is inexcusable" in filing the case one week before the event despite public knowledge of UFC Freedom 250 for almost a year. The plaintiffs can file another reply Wednesday evening. Judge Amit P. Mehta can decide to hear oral arguments Thursday before rendering a decision on the injunction application.

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