Overview
- UFC Freedom 250 is scheduled for Sunday, June 14 on the White House South Lawn and physical buildout is continuing for the card headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje.
- On June 10 the Department of Justice filed a response asking a judge not to block the show, arguing the plaintiffs waited too long, the White House is the official host, and organizers have already spent roughly tens of millions of dollars preparing the production.
- A lawsuit filed last weekend by the Public Integrity Project and two Virginia residents challenges the event as a private, commercial production that bypassed National Park Service permits, environmental review and congressional authorization.
- The White House denied reports that UFC controls press credentialing and said it credentialed a 35-member press pool, while UFC CEO Dana White denied that fighters or media have been banned and said limited seating explains exclusions.
- Organizers and officials expect about 4,300 seats on the South Lawn with large free viewing on the Ellipse, significant federal security operations are planned, and the legal fight could determine whether future commercial events can use presidential grounds.