Initially, the only threat hanging over the UFC Freedom 250 card was the weather. Now, the historic event is facing a far more serious storm: a federal lawsuit. According to reports, the Public Integrity Project, a watchdog group, filed a federal lawsuit on Saturday. And also filed an injunction on Sunday to stop the MMA card from unfolding.

In its lawsuit, the Public Integrity Project, representing two plaintiffs, alleges that the event is closely linked to President Trump’s 80th birthday, which coincides with the event date. The filing highlights statements from UFC CEO Dana White, who has denied that the card is intended as a birthday celebration while also saying that the idea for the event originated with Trump.

The suit also claimed that the event is a private matter aimed at profiting from the event. And alleges that even though the UFC has claimed that they won’t make any profits from the event and aren’t selling tickets, the event will be profitable for the UFC and its sponsors. Reportedly, TKO Group, UFC’s parent company, is spending $60 million on the event and expects to offset $30 million through sponsorships. 

The National Park Service and members of its leadership, and the Interior Department and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are named as defendants in the suit. Meanwhile, the suit from the Public Integrity Project represents Susan Douglas, an activist, and Paul Romano, a Vietnam War veteran. The suit alleges that the White House and the Lincoln Memorial are illegally handed over to the UFC.

The Lincoln Memorial is supposed to host the ceremonial weigh-ins before the event. And it’s worth noting that the UFC has already been served with a $700,000 repair bill for severe damage to the grass in the South Lawn. That’s because of the large Claw structure, made to feature a lighting system for the event, that has transformed the White House lawn in recent days. 

The suit argues that White House and the Lincoln Memorial are federal parklands administered by the National Park Service. And sports events are flatly prohibited under longstanding regulations. They highlighted that a regulatory exception in this case is only given to the America250 rule. However, Trump created the Freedom 250 group to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and doesn’t qualify for that exception. 

Public Integrity Project claims the UFC needed congressional permission to construct the arena on the White House Lawn. They also claim that the UFC was required to conduct an environmental study under the National Environmental Policy Act due to the impact of the structure on the grounds. 

Meanwhile, the lawsuit alleges that the UFC and its partners stand to profit significantly from the event through the sale of VIP packages and sponsorship deals. It also claims that President Trump himself could benefit financially.

According to Trump’s financial disclosure filed last month, he reported an investment in TKO Group Holdings worth between $15,000 and $50,000, made in March. Reportedly, Trump has been allocated 1,000 tickets for the event and has been selectively distributing them to political allies and supporters.

Separately, the Trump administration is facing another legal challenge over plans to construct a new ballroom on the East Wing grounds of the White House. Although a lower court temporarily halted the project, the administration has appealed that decision. As for the lawsuit surrounding UFC Freedom 250, the UFC has not publicly commented on the matter. The Department of the Interior, however, has responded.

They claimed the lawsuit “is an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory lawsuit brought simply to prevent President Trump from hosting what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most historic sporting events in our nation’s history during our semiquincentennial celebration.”

In the meantime, the plaintiffs had some not-so-nice things to say about the event.

Plaintiffs accused Donald Trump of corruption ahead of the UFC White House card

The idea for the event was first introduced by Donald Trump in July, 2025, during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Since then, Dana White has moved quickly to make that event a reality, branding it the biggest thing in the UFC’s history. But activist Susan Douglas claims President Donald Trump’s decision to hand over the White House lawn is corrupt. 

“The president arranged to hand two of America’s most cherished monuments to a private corporation so he and his allies could profit from them. That is corruption,” Douglas said in a statement. “These monuments belong to all of us Americans, not to Dana White, not to advertisers like Crypto.com, and not to Donald Trump. We’re asking the court to enforce the law because the administration refuses to.”

Meanwhile, the founder of the watchdog group, representing Douglas, claims the event is just a way for Donald Trump to enrich his friends. 

“This is a profoundly corrupt scheme to enrich the President and his friends,” Brendan Ballou said in a statement. “If this fight is allowed to proceed, it will be only the beginning, and our national monuments will become little more than branding opportunities for the rich and well-connected. We plan to stop that.”

Although TKO Group may not come out profitable from the event, the spectacle will increase the UFC’s popularity across the country and even globally, boosting its profits from future events. And ahead of the lawsuit, reports indicated that celebrities like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Adam Sandler and more had refused to attend the event despite invitations from Dana White. 

It appears UFC Freedom 250 is facing much more difficulty than Dana White may have anticipated. However, whether this lawsuit actually manages to stop the event from happening is yet to be seen.