WASHINGTON, DC — Tensions boiled over at the final news conference ahead of the UFC's White House event this weekend, as undefeated lightweight champion Ilia Topuria shoved interim champion Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial. UFC president Dana White intervened to separate the fighters.

Topuria, a Georgian-Spanish fighter, is returning from a nearly year-long hiatus following his highly publicized divorce. He has vowed to knock out Gaethje in the first round: "I know I'm the best in the world, in two days we're going to share the same place. I know I'm the best, just prove me wrong if you can."

Gaethje, 37, dismissed the threats, relying on his experience: "I have so much experience in the cage that I am going to use that experience to be great." After the shove, he laughed and said: "Look where we’re at, look at this beautiful view and you want to act like an animal?"

The event, dubbed "UFC Freedom 250," is scheduled to take place on President Donald Trump's 80th birthday as part of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States. Fights will be held in a 28-meter octagonal cage erected on the White House's South Lawn.

Earlier Friday, a federal judge declined to block the event. US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled against two Washington-area residents who argued the Trump administration exceeded its authority. The judge said the plaintiffs "fall short of showing they are 'directly affected'" and had unreasonably delayed their lawsuit. A White House spokesperson called the effort "untimely and frivolous."

Lawyers for the plaintiffs expressed disappointment: "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." UFC's parent company is TKO Group Holdings, which also owns WWE.

Source: www.aljazeera.com