The UFC announced Saturday its planned lineup for the highly anticipated event on the White House’s South Lawn — now officially called UFC Freedom Fights 250 — in June.
The card will feature a pair of title fights: a lightweight bout between reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje and a heavyweight contest featuring Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
Gaethje, 37, became the interim lightweight champion in January after Topuria confirmed that he would not defend his title in the first three months of 2026 due to personal reasons. Pereira — the current light heavyweight champion — will vie for the interim heavyweight belt against Gane.
UFC officials announced the full lineup during Saturday night’s UFC 326 event. The White House card will take place on June 14, coinciding with President Trump’s 80th birthday.
The White House event will not feature any preliminary fights but will include four other bouts outside of the title fights, which will be co-main events.
Diego Lopes and Stever Garcia will square off in a featherweight competition, Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukas will represent the middleweight division in the District, while Mauricio Ruffy and Michael Chandler will compete as lightweights. A bantamweight bout between Sean O’Malley and Aiemann Zahabi will round out the event.
Despite public lobbying from some fans and fighters, Freedom Fights 250 will not feature household names like Jon Jones or Conor McGregor.
“Never ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times, was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” UFC CEO Dana White said during Saturday’s post-fight press conference.
The event will feature approximately 5,000 spectators, but the event will not be open to the public. Tickets will be reserved for members of the military and the Trump administration, according to multiple reports.
White has previously announced that the event will stream on Paramount+. Select fights could air on CBS.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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