The much anticipated, once-in-a-lifetime UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C. arrived on Sunday, a card that once would have been unthinkable to even the most die-hard of UFC fans.
Back when Sen. John McCain was calling MMA and the UFC “human cockfighting,” mixed martial arts struggled to find respect, and the UFC found difficulty securing venues. Donald Trump, with his Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, for one, was one of the safe havens for the promotion, at least for a brief period.
That sparked a relationship between UFC President (and now CEO) Dana White and future U.S. President Trump. And with Trump now serving out a second term in office, and the UFC a multi-billion dollar sports property, the tide has certainly turned.
What was once unthinkable is now very much reality, with the UFC having to honor of being the first-ever professional sporting event at the White House. Set for the White House lawn on Sunday, the likes of Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira, Sean O’Malley and Michael Chandler were all on hand. Just 14 fighters, seven fights in total, a rare opportunity for all involved to appear on what was expected to be one of the biggest cards in UFC history.
With the full card airing on Paramount+ in the U.S., there was no premium price tag, at least for U.S. fans. All the more reason to tune in.
The wait is over, and UFC Freedom 250, a.k.a. UFC White House, is finally here. Check below throughout the night for results from the event, and links to each fight’s individual recap. It all kicks off at 8PM ET, 5PM PT.
Update, 6:15 PM ET: Earlier this afternoon the UFC announced a change to the UFC Freedom 250 broadcast schedule. The broadcast now starts at 8PM, which was originally the go-time for the first fight. It’s unclear if the originally planned one-hour pre-show will still be held in its entirety.
Update, 8PM ET: Per UFC pre-show broadcast, shelter in place order will be given in the case of lightning strike within a six mile radius of the White House. That will end 30 mins after the last strike. Weather supposed to clear by 9PM ET.
Update, 8:25PM ET: With the weather cooperating for the time being, the fights themselves are set to go, with Dana White and U.S. President Donald Trump walking out first.
UFC Freedom 250 Results
Justin Gaethje (ic) def. Ilia Topuria (c) by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 4, 5:00 – for the UFC lightweight championship / title unification bout
Ciryl Gane def. Alex Pereira by TKO, Round 2, 1:27 – for the vacant UFC interim heavyweight championship
Sean O’Malley def. Aiemann Zahabi by TKO, Round 2, 4:02
Josh Hokit def. Derrick Lewis by TKO, Round 2, 4:09
Mauricio Ruffy def. Michael Chandler by TKO, Round 1, 4:29
Bo Nickal def. Kyle Daukaus by TKO, Round 1, 4:34
Diego Lopes def. Steve Garcia by KO, Round 2, 2:42
