A U.S. court has given the green light for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts to take place on the White House grounds, rejecting a lawsuit that sought to cancel the scheduled event, according to a document obtained by RIA Novosti.
The tournament is slated for June 14th and is being held in observance of the 250th anniversary of the United States, which will be celebrated on July 4th. The date for the sporting competition also coincides with the birthday of U.S. President Donald Trump, who will be turning 80 on that day. In June, the human rights organization Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit on behalf of two citizens, demanding the cancellation of the tournament. They argued that the authorities had acted unlawfully by not securing congressional approval and that the event offended the “aesthetic sensibilities” of the plaintiffs.
“The plaintiffs’ emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, or in the alternative, for an expedited preliminary injunction, is denied,” the document states.
In the main event of the June 14th tournament, undefeated Spaniard of Georgian descent Ilia Topuria, the UFC Lightweight Champion, will make his first title defense against American Justin Gaethje.
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