UFC Freedom 250 at the White House — Topuria vs Gaethje Full Fight Card
The most unusual venue in UFC history is six days away.
UFC Freedom 250 — officially titled UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje — takes place on Sunday, June 14, 2026 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. The event begins at 8:00 PM ET and airs live on Paramount+ and CBS. It is named to honour the 250th anniversary of the United States — and just happens to fall on Flag Day and Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
This is the most hyped UFC event in years — and the main card justifies every bit of it.
UFC Freedom 250 Main Card — Topuria vs Gaethje
Main Event: Ilia Topuria (17-0) vs Justin Gaethje (27-5) — Lightweight Title
Undefeated Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria puts his belt on the line against the sport's most exciting fighter in Justin Gaethje — nicknamed "The Highlight" for the outrageous bonuses he collects every time he fights. Topuria's rise has been meteoric: he knocked out three consecutive former champions in Alexander Volkanovski, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan to win two UFC titles. Gaethje upset crowd favourite Paddy Pimblett to earn this shot — and with Gaethje likely to retire after his next loss, every moment of this fight carries enormous weight.
Co-Main Event: Alex Pereira (13-3) vs Ciryl Gane (13-2) — Interim Heavyweight Title
UFC legend and two-division champion Alex Pereira — beloved by Dana White as a potential all-time great — moves up to heavyweight to fight for the interim belt against former interim champion Ciryl Gane of France. If Pereira wins, White believes he will surpass Jon Jones as the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
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Full UFC Freedom 250 Fight Card
Main Card (8:00 PM ET, Paramount+/CBS):
- 🥊 Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje — Lightweight Championship
- 🥊 Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane — Interim Heavyweight Title
- 🥊 Sean O'Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi — Bantamweight
- 🥊 Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler — Lightweight
- 🥊 Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus — Middleweight
- 🥊 Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia — Featherweight
Prelims: Available on UFC Fight Pass earlier in the evening.
The White House Venue — Why It's Historic
UFC Freedom 250 will be the first major sporting event ever held on the South Lawn of the White House. Construction on the outdoor fight stage has been underway for months. The weigh-ins take place at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday June 12 — free and open to the public.
President Trump and UFC CEO Dana White organized the event together as part of the US Semiquincentennial celebrations. The event's title is a reference to the Declaration of Independence being signed 250 years ago. The fight falling on Trump's 80th birthday is — depending on who you ask — either coincidental or entirely intentional.
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How to Watch UFC Freedom 250
- Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
- Main card start: 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Paramount+ and CBS (free broadcast)
- Prelims: UFC Fight Pass
- Venue: South Lawn of the White House, Washington D.C.
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Key Takeaways
- UFC Freedom 250 takes place June 14, 2026 on the South Lawn of the White House — the first major sporting event ever held there.
- Main event: Ilia Topuria (17-0) vs Justin Gaethje — lightweight title — 8:00 PM ET on Paramount+ and CBS.
- Co-main: Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane — interim heavyweight title — Dana White says a Pereira win makes him the all-time UFC GOAT.
- The event falls on Flag Day and Trump's 80th birthday — organized by Trump and Dana White for the US 250th anniversary.
- Weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial on June 12 — free and open to the public.
- Six fights on the main card — full card on UFC Fight Pass.
