United States attorneys have responded to the lawsuit trying to stop this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 card.
U.S. attorneys said that neither the Department of Interior nor the National Park Service violated any laws regarding the upcoming bout, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House.
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The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of two Virginia residents by the Public Integrity Project, was filed last weekend in federal court in the District of Columbia in an effort to stop the fight card. The lawsuit called the event on White House grounds “deeply corrupt” and alleged that several federal rules and regulations had been violated in an effort by President Donald Trump to give UFC head Dana White a favor.
“The President is giving White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access,” the lawsuit reads.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that both the Department of Interior and the National Park Service organized a private sporting event on public property and failed to obtain congressional approval for construction sites. The suit is asking for an injunction to stop the event.
But the government disputed those claims, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, and said that such an injunction would both harm the defendants and affiliated parties after more than $60 million and “tens of thousands of hours of labor” were spent to prepare the fight card. Stopping the event, the government argued, would cause more harm than if an injunction was not granted.
The government said that the delay in filing was “inexcusable,” considering that the event has been public knowledge for nearly a year.
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It’s unclear when a decision will be made regarding the injunction. Plaintiffs can file another reply on Wednesday, and oral arguments could be made on Thursday.
Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria are set to headline the UFC Freedom 250 card in their lightweight title bout on Sunday. Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will square off in the heavyweight interim title bout, too.
The UFC is set to hold news conferences on Friday night in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and weigh-ins on Saturday at the Ellipse. The fights on Sunday will take place on Trump’s 80th birthday. The UFC has said that it will pay $700,000 to restore the South Lawn after the fight is done.
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If it moves forward, it will be the first professional sports event held on White House grounds in history.
