The UFC will be bringing the octagon to the White House when UFC Freedom 250 comes to Washington, D.C. on June 14.
The event, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s birthday, is meant to honor America’s 250th anniversary. The main event will see Ilia Topuria defend the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.
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After beating Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, Topuria (17-0) won and vacated the UFC featherweight title to move to lightweight. The Georgian and Spanish fighter took out Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight belt. He hopes to eventually win gold in another division.
Gaethje (27-5) beat Paddy Pimblett to become interim lightweight champion. “The Highlight” has won multiple fight bonuses in his career, and the former BMF Champion has 20 wins via knockout.
An interim title is on the line on the UFC Freedom 250 undercard, while several high-profile fighters will compete on the White House lawn.
UFC Freedom 250 undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the UFC Freedom 250 card.
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- Pereira record: 13-3
- Gane record: 13-2, 1 NC
- Belts at stake: Interim UFC heavyweight title
The co-main event will see Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. The winner will face Tom Aspinall, who has been dealing with an eye issue after facing Gane.
Pereira (13-3) is a two-division champion who owns the record for the shortest time and fewest contests to win UFC gold (736 days/7 bouts). “Poatan” went 1-1 against Magomed Ankalaev for light heavyweight gold, and vacated the belt to try for a title in a third weight class.
Gane (13-2, 1 NC) is 0-2 with one no-contest in UFC title fights. The French fighter poked Aspinall in the eye at UFC 321, and the fight was off after Aspinall couldn’t continue. He attempts to hold interim gold for the second time in his career.
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
- Division/Weight: Bantamweight
- O’Malley record: 19-3, 1 NC
- Zahabi record: 14-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Sean O’Malley takes on Aiemann Zahabi.
O’Malley (19-3, 1 NC) is a former UFC bantamweight champion. “Suga,” ranked third at bantamweight, was on a two-fight losing streak after bouts against Merab Dvalishvili. Known for his colorful hair, he recovered from those losses with a win against Song Yadong in January.
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Zahabi (14-2) is ranked sixth. The Canadian is on a seven-fight win streak, beating Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera in 2025.
Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- Hokit record: 9-0
- Lewis record: 29-13, 1 NC
- Belts at stake: N/A
Josh Hokit takes on Derrick Lewis in heavyweight action.
A former football player, Hokit (9-0) has won three UFC fights via knockout. Known for his controversial personality, Hokit, ranked fifth at heavyweight, earned a spot on the card after an impressive win against Curtis Blaydes.
One of President Trump’s favorite fighters, Lewis (29-13, 1 NC) owns the record for most knockouts (16) in UFC history. “The Black Beast” is 2-2 in his last four fights.
Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Ruffy record: 13-2
- Chandler record: 23-10
- Belts at stake: N/A
Further down the card will see Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler.
Ruffy (13-2) is 2-1 in his last three fights, taking home Knockout of the Year honors for his 2025 KO win against King Green. The Brazilian is ranked ninth at lightweight and has twelve wins via the power punch.
A former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, Chandler (23-10) is on a three-fight losing streak. The Big 12 Championships silver medalist and All-American was waiting to fight Conor McGregor for years, but the bout never came to fruition. Now, the wrestler gets to compete at the White House.
Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Nickal record: 8-1
- Daukaus record: 17-4, 1 NC
- Belts at stake: N/A
Bo Nickal takes on Kyle Daukaus.
A three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and multi-time gold medalist, Nickal (8-1) took out Rodolfo Vieira in November. One of the most accomplished wrestlers in Penn State history, Nickal attempts to enter the rankings with a win.
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A former Cage Fury middleweight champion, Daukaus (17-4, 1 NC) is on a six-fight win streak. He went 2-0 in the octagon in 2025 and has twelve wins via submission.
Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia
- Division/Weight: Featherweight
- Lopes record: 27-8
- Garcia record: 19-5
- Belts at stake: N/A
Finally, Diego Lopes takes on Steve Garcia.
Ranked second at featherweight, Lopes (27-8) went 0-2 against Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title. The Brazilian is 2-2 in his last four fights.
Ranked ninth, Garcia (19-5) is on a seven-fight win streak and has fifteen wins via knockout.
UFC Freedom 250 at the White House tune-in info
- Date: Sunday, June 14
- Time: 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT
- Location: White House – Washington, D.C.
- Live Stream: Paramount+
You can watch UFC Freedom 250 live on Paramount+, with both the prelims and main card available to stream in one place. The best part: UFC Freedom 250 does not require a pay-per-view purchase — you just need an active Paramount+ subscription.
Paramount+ plans
- Paramount+ Essential (ad-supported): $8.99/month or $89.99/year
- Paramount+ Premium (ad-free): $13.99/month or $139.99/year
Beyond UFC, Paramount+ includes a wide mix of live sports and programming, plus thousands of on-demand movies and shows, so you can stream events and entertainment on your phone, TV, or laptop.
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