On the night of June 14-15, the world of mixed martial arts will witness an event that seemed impossible just a few years ago. UFC Freedom 250 will take place right on the grounds of the White House in Washington, where for the first time in the history of the American presidential residence a professional sports tournament will be held.
The Octagon will be installed on the South Lawn of the White House, and the event itself will be part of the large-scale celebration of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America. According to the plan of the organizers, the fighters will enter the cage directly from the Oval Office, which has already made the tournament one of the most discussed sports shows of the year.
The idea belongs to US President Donald Trump, who in the fall of 2025 announced holding the UFC championship tournament on the territory of the White House. Subsequently, the project received the full support of UFC president Dana White, and after several months of preparation, the organizers officially confirmed the historic show.
We offer to dive into the upcoming hype tournament in more detail, getting acquainted with the fighters, the card and all the most interesting things about UFC Freedom 250.
The main fight of the evening: Ilya Topuria – Justin Gagey
Freedom 250 will be headlined by a lightweight title matchup between reigning champion Ilya Topuria and interim belt holder Justin Gagey.
Topuria approaches the fight with a perfect record of 17-0 and the status of one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet regardless of weight class. Over the past two years, he has knocked out three UFC legends at once – Alex Volkanovsky, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.
For Gage, this fight could be the last chance to win the undisputed UFC championship title. The American has long earned the reputation of one of the most spectacular fighters in the history of the organization, and his style guarantees a real war in the Octagon.
If Topuria wins, he will further strengthen his status as a UFC superstar. If Gagey creates a sensation in front of the walls of the White House, it will be, without exaggeration, the biggest and most important victory in his career.
Co-main event: Pereira will try to make history
In the evening’s co-main event, Alex Pereira will face Cyril Gunn in a fight for the interim UFC heavyweight title.
After conquering two divisions, the Brazilian got a chance to join the elite club of champions in three weight categories at once. Standing in his way will be one of the most technical heavyweights of our time – former interim champion Cyril Hahn.
For Pereira, this fight could be another historic achievement, and for the Ghanaian, an opportunity to finally get back into the title race after a failed attempt at undisputed gold.
We will remind that in the fight against the current champion Thomas Aspinall, the Frenchman was unable to take the chance and take the belt, poking the Britisher in the eye, which is why the match ended already in the first round without a winner and a loser.
UFC Freedom 250 full card
The main card
• Ilya Topuria (17-0) – Justin Gagey (27-5) – fight for the UFC lightweight title
• Alex Pereira (13-3) – Cyril Gunn (13-2) – fight for the interim UFC heavyweight title
• Sean O’Malley (19-3) – Aymann Zahabi (14-2)
Previous Card
• Derrick Lewis (29-11) – Josh Hockitt (9-0)
• Mauricio Ruffi (13-2) – Michael Chandler (23-10)
• Bo Nickal (8-1) – Kyle Daukaus (17-4)
• Diego Lopez (27-8) – Steve Garcia (19-5)
Interesting facts about the tournament
• UFC Freedom 250 will be the first professional sports event in White House history.
• The tournament is dedicated to the 250th anniversary of US independence.
• The event will take place on the day of Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, which only adds to the attention of the show.
• There will be a limited number of tickets for the tournament: the arena near the White House will accommodate up to 5,000 spectators.
• About a thousand tickets will be given to US military personnel.
• For public viewing, the organizers plan to install large screens near the White House, where tens of thousands of fans will be able to watch the fights.
Where and when to watch UFC Freedom 250
UFC Freedom 250 will take place on Monday night, June 15. The event starts at 03:00 for Kyiv from the previous card, at 05:00 the main matches will take place.
Setanta Sports platform will broadcast UFC Freedom 250. The Ukrainian video service will show the tournament, starting with the previous card.
