Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White are set to move forward with their highly anticipated UFC event on the White House South Lawn after overcoming a last-minute legal challenge from two Virginia residents.

The lawsuit sought to block the event from taking place this weekend. The plaintiffs argued that the proposed fight card had little connection to celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and contended that it was not being planned by the federal government.

Court Rejects Bid To Block Donald Trump’s UFC Event

Two Virginia residents, Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, attempted to block this weekend’s UFC event on the White House South Lawn, but their lawsuit has now been dismissed by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.

The ruling, which came on Friday, clears the way for the highly anticipated event organized by White and backed by Trump.

Judge Mehta ruled against the plaintiffs, a political activist and a retired Air Force sergeant, finding that they lacked standing to challenge the event and had failed to demonstrate how they would be harmed or affected by it.

“Plaintiffs fall short of showing they are ‘directly affected’ by Defendants’ actions,” Mehta said in his lengthy ruling, per The Hill.

Judge Points To Special Permit Exceptions

In their filing, the two Virginia residents, represented by the Public Integrity Project, argued that the UFC event had little connection to celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. They also contended that the event was neither planned nor conducted by the federal government.

The plaintiffs further described the event as “deeply corrupt,” citing allegations that Trump could benefit financially from it after reportedly purchasing up to $50,000 in stock in UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, earlier this year.

While Judge Mehta did not address the corruption allegations in his ruling, he defended the legality of the event, stating that it falls within special permitting exceptions established for celebrations commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.

Donald Trump Administration Blasts Failed Lawsuit

At the time the lawsuit was filed, an official working for the Trump administration issued a statement calling it “obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory.”

After the lawsuit was dismissed, the White House issued a statement thanking the judge for clearing the way for the event and rejecting the arguments advanced by Douglas and Romano.

“The court rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous effort to halt the historic UFC event hosted to honor the 250th anniversary of our Nation,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.

The statement continued, “The White House is thankful for this correct decision and looks forward to hosting this once-in-a-lifetime celebration on the South Lawn.”

Weather Concerns Hang Over Donald Trump’s UFC Event

Severe thunderstorms sweeping across Washington, D.C., forced organizers to postpone the official press conference at the Lincoln Memorial and sparked frustration among fans over the disruption.

Although the press conference eventually went ahead, weather concerns remain. Rain is still forecast and could potentially affect portions of the event.

UFC executives have confirmed that rain alone would not be enough to halt the fights. However, any lightning strike within a designated safety radius would trigger an immediate evacuation of the venue.

While contingency plans have been put in place to address potential weather-related disruptions, it remains unclear how effective they would be if conditions deteriorate significantly, particularly in maintaining a seamless broadcast for viewers at home.

Top Fighters Set For White House UFC Card

Viewers at home will also be able to watch the event on CBS or Paramount+, both of which have reportedly secured broadcast agreements with the organization that holds UFC media rights.

The fight card is expected to deliver plenty of action, particularly with the headline bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship.

Another highly anticipated clash will see Alex Pereira take on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.

Elsewhere, Sean O’Malley faces Aiemann Zahabi in a bantamweight showdown, while rising stars Bo Nickal and Mauricio Ruffy will look to make statements of their own in their respective middleweight and lightweight contests.