US judge won't block Trump's White House UFC mixed martial arts event

WASHINGTON, June 12 : A federal judge declined on Friday to block President Donald Trump from hosting a special Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts event on the White House grounds, letting the fights set to be held on Sunday inside a towering new structure proceed. 

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled against two Washington-area residents who argued in a lawsuit that Trump's administration exceeded its authority in staging the event, dubbed "UFC Freedom 250," by among other things failing to obtain congressional authorization. The plaintiffs had sought a judicial order to block the event.

Mehta said the two challengers "fall short of showing they are 'directly affected' by defendants’ actions" and had unreasonably delayed bringing their lawsuit.

A White House spokesperson in a statement said the judge "rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous" effort. Brett Shumate, the head of the Justice Department's civil division, said in a post on social media: "Fight's on."

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they were disappointed but respected the ruling.

"This isn’t a case about a sporting event, it’s about corruption, as a handful of people and companies stand to profit from our public monuments," they said in a statement. 

The UFC event is scheduled to take place on Trump's 80th birthday as part of the Republican president's plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. The event features mixed martial arts bouts contested in an octagonal cage situated inside a 92-foot-tall (28-meter-tall) claw-like structure erected in recent weeks on the White House's South Lawn.

The plaintiffs sued on June 6, arguing that professional sporting events are barred at the site and that the arena constructed for the