A motion to halt the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn and Lincoln Memorial this week has been denied.
Earlier this week, plaintiffs Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, with the backing of the Public Integrity Project, filed for a temporary restraining order attempting to prevent the staging of the UFC event. They asserted that the event was “a corrupt scheme to hand the White House South Lawn and Lincoln Memorial to a private, for-profit sports promoter in violation of federal law”.
They argued that the event violated the National Park Service agreements, which prohibit events on federal parklands and do not qualify for an “acceptable exemption.”
It is outlined in the opinion from the court that, “Although promoted as a 250th anniversary event, neither the congressionally authorized planning commission nor the President’s corresponding task force established by executive order, named “Freedom 250,” is involved in planning UFC Freedom 250. Earlier reporting had indicated control by Freedom 250, but a spokesperson denied involvement on June 4, 2026”.
On Friday, the court outlined that a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction are “extraordinary” remedies and the parties must demonstrate that “A party moving for either must make four showings: (1) a likelihood of success on the merits, (2) a likelihood of irreparable harm in the absence of emergency relief, (3) the balance of equities supports emergency relief, and (4) emergency relief is in the public interest”.
The court concludes that the plaintiffs have failed to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm and that the “equities and public interest weigh against emergency relief” as its reasoning for denying a TRO or preliminary injunction.
UFC Freedom 250 will stream on Paramount+ this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
