UFC at the White House: full card, bookmaker's odds, and predictions for all fights

The White House, where the US President resides, will transform into an arena for the most anticipated tournament in MMA history - UFC Freedom 250. UFC will bring to Washington a top card, headlined by a fight for the lightweight championship title between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

In short:

• For the first time in history, UFC will hold a tournament at the White House. It is timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.
• The event will take place on June 14, local time.
• The card includes seven fights, two of which are title bouts. The prize bonus fund is 1 million dollars.
• In the main event of the evening, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will fight. The Spaniard is the clear favorite in the bookmakers' line.
• Fights involving Alex Pereira, Sean O'Malley, Michael Chandler, and Derrick Lewis are also planned. Russian fighters will not participate.
• You can watch the live broadcast of the UFC tournament at the White House on the UFC Fight Pass platform.

Where and when will UFC Freedom 250 take place

The UFC tournament at the White House will take place on June 14, 2026. Prelims will start at approximately 20:00 local time, the main card - around 22:00. The broadcast of the event in full will be available on UFC Fight Pass. In a number of countries, the main card of the event will be shown for free by local TV channels.

Why will the UFC tournament be at the White House?

This decision is largely symbolic. The tournament is timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, and holding the show on the territory of the White House enhances the historical and media effect. The initiator of the idea is the country's president, Donald Trump himself. According to the media, his long-standing friendly relations with UFC head Dana White played a key role, and Trump personally participated in discussing organizational nuances, including the composition of the participants.

Features of the UFC tournament at the White House

• A temporary octagon will be set up on the South Lawn of the White House.
• The stands in the main block will accommodate about 4,200 spectators. Approximately 1,200 seats are reserved for active US military personnel.
• Up to 85,000 people will be able to watch the broadcast in Ellipse Park on large screens - a concert zone will also be organized there.
• The card includes seven fights matches, two of which will be title bouts.  
• For the "Fight of the Night", both participants will receive $300,000 each (three times more than the standard UFC bonus).
• For the best performance, the promotion will pay $200,000 to two fighters (twice as much as the standard UFC bonus).
• The White House is not subject to the jurisdiction of regular sports commissions, so the rules and control of the event are entirely up to the UFC.

UFC Tournament Card at the White House

• Lightweight: Ilia Topuria (champion) vs Justin Gaethje (interim champion) — fight for the full title.
• Heavyweight: Alex Pereira (division debut) vs Ciryl Gane (№1 ranking) — fight for the interim title.  
• Bantamweight: Sean O'Malley (№2 ranking) vs Aiemann Zahabi (№6 ranking).  
• Heavyweight: Josh Hokit (№5 ranking) vs Derrick Lewis (№9 ranking).
• Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffi (№9 ranking) vs Michael Chandler (№13 ranking).  
• Middleweight: Bo Nickal (not in the top-15 ranking) vs Kyle Daukaus (not in the top-15 ranking).
• Featherweight: Diego Lopez (№2 ranking) vs Steve Garcia (№9 ranking).

Main fight of the UFC tournament at the White House: Topuria vs Gaethje

The headliner of the historic UFC Freedom 250 will be the bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje — a fight that combines both sporting sense and show. Ilia is due to defend his lightweight title, and Gaethje has been holding the interim belt since January, so we are essentially looking at a unification bout. For the UFC on paper, this is the perfect option — one of the brightest stars of the promotion will fight with an entertaining American striker.

But before the official announcement, other big names were discussed in the press: Jon Jones hinted at a return and even conducted negotiations, Conor McGregor constantly insisted on his participation in the historic show, and the idea of the same Topuria fighting Islam Makhachev also flashed in the media. However, for various reasons, these options fell through — negotiations on fees, injuries, and logistics pushed them aside. In the end, the Topuria — Gaethje pair became a compromise, but at the same time a solid choice.

Co-main event of the UFC tournament at the White House: Pereira vs Gane

The organization of the fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title is a logical and expected decision by the promotion. After the rematch with Magomed Ankalaev in October 2025, the Brazilian publicly announced that he had exhausted challenges in the light heavyweight division and was ready to storm the "royal" weight. His desire was backed by ambitions to become the first champion in UFC history in the third division.

As for the interim belt, it arose objectively. Regular champion Tom Aspinall, with whom he wanted"Poatan" was initially out of action due to surgery following an incident in a fight with Gane, who poked him in the eye with his fingers. Therefore, the throne was contested in the absence of the Briton by deserving contenders.

Odds and Chances of Winning

*Odds are approximate, may vary among different bookmakers and are current at the time of publication