UFC Freedom 250 at the White House is facing a legal challenge that could stop the fight card going ahead as a federal lawsuit claims the event is “deeply corrupt.”

The UFC‘s headline event on the White House South Lawn is planned for the 14th of June and would mark the first time in history that a live sporting event has been held on the White House grounds. However, legal action has been filed in the District of Columbia against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior by two Virginia residents.

The lawsuit argues federal law and National Park Service regulations strictly limit private use of the capital’s national monuments and that the claw structure being used to host the fights is causing significant damage to the White House grounds. Dana White has estimated that it will cost $700,000 to repair the South Lawn alone, it says.

The claimants argue that President Trump is giving Dana White and the UFC unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the associated promotional and branding opportunities.

The suit claims the UFC is selling VIP packages for between $1 million and $1.5 million per person and that the event is favourable to the UFC’s broadcast partner, Paramount Skydance, which is run by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison. Trump is also said to have bought $50,000 worth of stock in UFC owner TKO earlier this spring.

What’s Been Said in the Lawsuit

“The event, scheduled for June 14, was conceived by President Trump and organised by UFC CEO Dana White, a close personal ally of Trump, and will benefit both men financially,” writes Samuel T. Ward-Packard of the Public Integrity Project, the lead attorney on the case.

“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,” plaintiff Susan Douglas stated.

UFC Freedom 250

Ceremonial weigh-ins and face-offs are set to take place at the Lincoln Memorial and pre-fight walkouts are expected to start from the Oval Office.

The fight card is being headlined with a bout for the lightweight championship between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. The co-main event will see Alex Pereira move up to heavyweight as he looks to win a belt in a third weight class against France’s Ciryl Gane.

A World Cup star was left with little choice but to confront US police officers on the pitch during Ecuador’s 3-0 friendly win over Guatemala on Sunday night. Boasting one of the youngest squads heading into this year’s tournament, the South American nation are unbeaten in their last 19 matches.

During that run, they have held Morocco and the Netherlands to draws, while also beating reigning world champions Argentina as recently as last September. With just four days to go until the start of football’s flagship event, there is growing belief that Ecuador could emerge as one of the surprise packages in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

However, while their preparations on the pitch have largely been smooth sailing, an incident during their final warm-up match before next week’s Group E opener against Ivory Coast has reignited concerns over police conduct in the host nation.

World Cup Star Confronts US Police on Pitch During Friendly

Ecuador dominated their way through to a convincing win at the Ohio Stadium this weekend, with Jordy Caicedo, Nilson Angulo, and Pervis Estupinan getting in on the goals. However, post-match discussion has been more interested in a moment of madness that saw Premier League midfielder Moises Caicedo intervene with the police’s aggressiveness towards a pitch invader.

Late into the match, a Guatemala fan ran onto the pitch, which saw US police use excessive force to detain him, with several officers taking him down to the ground. Caicedo stepped in and tried to protect the fan, before complaining and arguing with the police over the violent way they handled the situation. Watch the incident below:

The Chelsea star’s actions have been widely praised on social media, while those inside the stadium on Sunday night appeared to boo the police’s heavy-handed involvement in videos that captured the moment. No statement of any kind has been released about the incident at the time of writing.

Safety Concerns Heading into 2026 World Cup

Sunday night’s events appeared to echo many of the fears matchgoing supporters had when they first learned of the USA’s hosting rights for the tournament. While ICE’s well-documented actions and Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies have drawn significant scrutiny, they have also shone a light on some of the concerns facing travelling supporters heading stateside.

Even setting those issues aside, the USA’s long-standing problem with mass shootings remains an obvious source of alarm. On the same day as Ecuador’s final warm-up match, a shooting near England’s intended training base in Kansas City left nine people injured, further highlighting the security concerns that have surrounded the tournament.

Footage of Brazil fans allegedly chanting about Donald Trump while the United States national anthem was played in Sao Paulo over the weekend has gone viral on social media.

Brazil’s women’s national team secured a 2-1 win over their US counterparts on Saturday thanks to early goals from Taina Maranhao and Beatriz Zaneratto Joao.

Sophia Wilson, who returned from maternity leave earlier this year, put USA 1-0 ahead in the second minute but Brazil, hosts of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, had turned things around by the 14th minute. No further goals were scored. The two sides will meet for a second friendly on Tuesday night.

“I think we did a better job [in the] second half,” US head coach Emma Hayes told reporters. “That is where we dominated, in the duels. I think we created enough chances [in the] second half to get an equaliser, but you still have to have the quality in the last part of the pitch. You have to make the right decisions at the right time.

“And the difference between two teams is Brazil took their chances and we didn’t take ours. And it’s exactly what I expected because both of us are top teams. We both played in the Olympic gold-medal final. It’s going to be very close between us. It was a fun game, but also at the top level it’s about details.”

Brazil Fans’ Anti-Trump Chant

However, rather than the goals or anything else related to events on the pitch, it’s footage of the national anthems that’s caused a stir on social media.

Per Total Pro Sports, it’s claimed Brazil fans chanted during the US national anthem: “Hey Trump, go f*** yourself.” Watch the viral footage below:

The viral tweet reads: “I didn’t see people commenting enough about the fans telling Trump to f*** off during the United States national anthem.”

Trump Administration Proposing Huge Trade Tariffs on Brazil

The derogatory chant about the controversial US President came days after the Trump administration proposed 25% tariffs on imports from Brazil, accusing the world’s 10th-biggest economy of engaging in trade practices that are “unreasonable” and that “burden or restrict US commerce”, per The Guardian.

Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said he received the decision “with indignation”.

“I spoke to President Trump for three hours, and that Marco Rubio guy, the head of the state department, he is anti-Latin American,” Lula added.

While it’s unclear whether the fans’ alleged anti-Trump chant was a direct response to the planned new tariffs on Brazilian imports, the controversial move will not have enhanced the US President’s popularity among the people of the South American nation.