Justin Gaethje

What can you say about “The Highlight”? This will not be remembered as the biggest upset in UFC title fight history when it comes to the odds, but circumstances-wise, this has to be, at worst, top 5. The aura of invincibility that Ilia Topuria had coming in was akin to something like Thanos having every infinity stones and calling himself “inevitable.” I’m not sure we’ve someone who looked this unbeatable get dominated so badly since Ronda Rousey getting head kicked by Holly Holm. The delta between Topuria’s image before and after the fight is almost incomprehensible and truly a testament to Gaethje as an all-time great war horse.

As for what’s next, we will see whether or not the UFC will give Arman Tsarukyan the shot. But as far who is the most deserving, this isn’t even worth debating. Let’s just get it over with.

Gaethje’s next fight: Arman Tsarukyan

Ciryl Gane

Say what you will about Ciryl Gane’s seemingly infinite title shots, but there’s no doubt he made the most out of this one. He was widely considered undeserving of the shot against Aspinall, but it’s the fact he was winning that fight until the eye poke that got him this interim shot against legend and fan-favourite Alex Pereira. It used to be that Gane would be flustered under the bright lights, but not this time. He got it done and left no doubt, knocking out “Poatan” and punching his ticket for a rematch with the Englishman.

Gane’s next fight: Tom Aspinall

Sean O’Malley

After dropping back-to-back title fights to Merab Dvalishvili, it was unclear how Sean O’Malley’s confidence had been shaken up. It may not have been the most convincing victory of his career, but he did get the job done against Song Yadong in January. However, this walk-off KO paired with the celebration was vintage “Suga” Sean. It seems like the Petr Yan and Dvalishvili trilogy is on its way, but if it isn’t, then a Yan/O’Malley rematch practically books itself.

O’Malley’s next fight: Title shot

Josh Hokit

This fight didn’t deliver like the Curtis Blaydes one, but perhaps those expectations were unfair. At the very least, Hokit kept his undefeated record and earned himself another finish, as sloppy as this one may have been. His best hope is that Tom Aspinall will be out for a much longer time, to the point that they will either strip him or have Gane defend his interim belt. That would open up the door to Hokit fighting for a title. Until that happens, I don’t think anybody’s more deserving of yet another number one contender bout than Alexander Volkov.

Hokit’s next fight: Alexander Volkov

Mauricio Ruffy

Mauricio Ruffy was the biggest betting favourite on the card and he fought like it. He made short and easy work of Michael Chandler, picking him apart for the entire opening round on his way to a knockout win. If the UFC is looking to throw another older lightweight at Ruffy, they could definitely do worse than Dan Hooker. “The Hangman” is always looking to stand and bang and Ruffy would certainly oblige. However, if Max Holloway dispatches of Conor McGregor next month in the way that I believe he will, I would love to see the striking matchup between those two.

Ruffy’s next fight: Holloway/McGregor winner

Bo Nickal

While this was probably the least interesting bout on the card in terms of stakes, it was a great indicator of how the UFC still sees potential in Bo Nickal, even post-de Ridder loss. Kyle Daukaus had looked very good since getting cut and then coming back to the UFC and Nickal knocked out using his boxing, which must have been an encouraging sign. I still think the UFC should use a slower approach with him and match him up against more known, yet beatable names. I thought of the winner of Shara Magomedov vs Michel Pereira, but instead went with Edmen Shahbazyan, who fits that description to a tee.

Nickal’s next fight: Edmen Shahbazyan

Diego Lopes

After a relatively quiet first round by Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia’s standards, they both started to open up in the second and the Brazilian’s durability and power got him the edge. After a poor showing in the Volkanovski rematch, Lopes needed a good rebound performance. Ending Garcia’s seven-fight win streak via finish on a stage like this one will go a long way to restore his image. Knowing the bad blood between he and Yair Rodriguez, this fight is long overdue to main event a Fight Night card in Mexico or Brazil.

Lopes’ next fight: Yair Rodriguez

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Gane (14-2, 1NC) spoiled the heavyweight debut of “Poatan” at the White House on Sunday, and in the process claimed an interim heavyweight title for the second time. That puts him in line for a rematch with heavyweight champ Aspinall, after the pair’s first meeting ended in a No Contest late last year due to inadvertent eye pokes.

Aspinall would later require surgery on his eye, necessitating Sunday’s interim title fight. Now, Gane is looking to get another crack at undisputed gold.

“As soon as possible, as I like the say in Paris for example,” Gane told media outlets including Cageside Press during Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 post-fight press conference. “It’s a good idea, but let the staff of the UFC work on it.”

The Paris idea might be unlikely. The UFC just announced a Fight Night card at the Accor Arena in early September. Putting a title fight on that show feels like a stretch; it more than likely will headline a numbered event when it does happen.

There’s also Aspinall’s apparent contract dispute with the UFC. He’s being managed by Eddie Hearn, a boxing promoter who has become a heated rival of Dana White. Hearn has publicly decried what his client is earning with the MMA promotion.

White, meanwhile, admitted that when it comes to the rematch between Aspinall and Gane, “I’m not even thinking about that now.”

Addressing the fight, and Gane’s finish of the UFC’s former middleweight and light heavyweight champ, Dana White exclaimed “Yeah, Ciryl Gane. Listen, it’s hard to move up three weight classes in MMA, and especially in the UFC. And Ciryl looked great tonight. We always say, he’s a heavyweight that moves like a middleweight, and he definitely looked like one tonight.”

As far as future bookings, “I’m going to let my people have some time off this week and then we’ll get back at it and we’ll figure out what’s next.”

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The spectacle of spectacles, the most expensive show the UFC has ever produced, and one of the most anticipated fight cards of all time delivered and then some on the action front. If you could look past the political connotations of hosting a first-ever professional sporting event on the White House south lawn, on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday no less, it was a wildly entertaining ride. Seven finishes in seven fights, but one man stole the show above all else: Justin Gaethje.

The most violent man in MMA history is known as “The Highlight” for a reason, but it wasn’t a highlight reel finish he earned on Sunday. Rather, in his lightweight title unification bout, Gaethje put a demoralizing beatdown on Ilia Topuria, an undefeated two-division champion who had boldly claimed ahead of the fight that he would stop the American within the first round.

That prediction did not come to pass, and it was Topuria leaving the first round visibly damaged. While he rallied in the second frame, the third round belonged to Gaethje, and the damage piled up even more in the fourth. By the time Gaethje had landed a massive knee to the ribs of Topuria at round’s end, the writing was on the wall. Already checked over by a doctor following the third frame, Topuria could not continue past the fourth. It went down, officially, as a corner stoppage. Unofficially, Justin Gaethje broke the previously undefeated “El Matador.”

For Gaethje, after failed attempts to claim undisputed gold against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, it’s the culmination of years of hard work. His career, from World Series of Fighting (a precursor to the PFL) champion to the UFC, where he twice won interim titles as well as the promotion’s symbolic “BMF” title, has been must-see television.

True to history, Gaethje even doubled up on bonus money at UFC Freedom 250. UFC CEO and President Dana White announced following the event that Topuria vs. Gaethje earned Fight of the Night, while the UFC’s newly crowned undisputed champion also claimed one of two Performance of the Night bonuses. It’s not the first time Justin Gaethje has doubled up on bonuses, but this time out, he pockets $825,000.

The lightweight star now has 17 post-fight bonuses in 16 UFC fights.

Ciryl Gane, who knocked out Alex Pereira in the heavyweight debut of “Poatan,” a former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, earned the other Performance bonus.

Performance of the Night bonuses at the White House card were worth $425,000, while Fight of the Night earned $400,000, in a one-off upping of the bonuses thanks in part to corporate partnerships.

The remaining five winners on the card will take home $25,000 finishing bonuses. Those fighters are made up of Diego Lopes, Bo Nickal, Mauricio Ruffy, Josh Hokit, and Sean O’Malley. No fight went the distance on Sunday.

Update: Dana White initially said no finishing bonuses were awarded at the White House during Sunday’s post-fight press conference, but later corrected himself.

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On a card designed to celebrate America’s 250th birthday (or, given it was falling on June 14, U.S. President Donald Trump’s birthday), having a Brazilian and a Frenchman facing off at the White House might seem like a dubious decision at best. Yet “Poatan,” as Pereira is known (“stone hand” in Tupi, an indigenous language in his native Brazil, or “hands of stone” if you prefer) has ascended the mountain in the UFC to become one of the promotion’s biggest stars.

Should he get past Gane to claim interim gold, it would be a history-making feat. And would line him up for a fight with Tom Aspinall, or even, should he decide to insert his name in the equation, Jon Jones, who was given the cold shoulder when it came to the White House card.

Gane, meanwhile, wanted a second crack at Aspinall after the first ended early due to inadvertent eye pokes.

Getting the crowd gasping early, Pereira opened with a head kick that was blocked, then landed a leg kick. If there were any questions about the Brazilian’s size at heavyweight, he certainly looked the part, far from small standing up against Gane. For Gane’s part, he connected with a jab, more probing than damaging. Pereira, meanwhile, doubled up on his calf kicks.

Comfortable with his own kicks, Gane landed to the inside of Pereira’s leg. Pereira’s kicks were more likely to go high, however, and had more on them. Gane continued to work his jab, while Pereira was reserved with his hands. Gane shook things up with a takedown attempt, which seemed to get Pereira’s attention even though it wasn’t complete. Gane would connect with a combo, two minutes still on the clock, the best offense of the round to that point. In the final minute, with Gane finding decent success, Pereira sailed over the French heavyweight’s head with a kick. A second would be blocked, though Pereira would land to the leg with a third.

Right at the horn, Pereira would connect with a right hand, but the round appeared to favor Ciryl Gane. He’d come out and put the hurt on Alex Pereira in round two, dropping the former two-division champ with a jab and swarming him. Blow after blow, club-like hammer fists, landed on the fallen Pereira, yet somehow he survived. “Poatan” miraculously recovered, if not fully, and Gane when right after him, lighting up Pereira! Ref Herb Dean was right on top of the action, but chose to let it continue. A left, right, and another left finally put Pereira away, but he appeared to be out of the fight a short time before that.

Ciryl Gane is once again the UFC’s interim heavyweight champ, and a second date with Tom Aspinall seems all but certain. “Let’s do it in Paris in September,” Gane suggested following the fight.

Official Result: Ciryl Gane def. Alex Pereira by TKO, Round 2, 1:27

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None of those would truly matter come Fight Night save the aforementioned weather, as the forecast calling for rain and even possible thunderstorms had the chance to really throw a wrench in the works. But as Dana White exclaimed at Friday’s pre-fight press conference, they were going to be fighting on Sunday regardless of rain or snow.

That meant Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje would unify the promotion’s lightweight title. It meant Alex Pereira would finally make his move to heavyweight, an option that was often talked about in recent years. Ciryl Gane was the only thing standing in the way of “Poatan” doing the unthinkable and winning a title in a third weight class. Sure, it was an interim belt, with Tom Aspinall waiting in the wings (and on the outs with the company).

Sean O’Malley, set to face Aiemann Zahabi, was looking to work his way back to his old belt at bantamweight. The Canadian, however, had made it a habit of late to turn back former champs and challengers.

Of course, there was the card’s place as the first-ever professional sporting event to be held on the White House grounds and all the conflicting opinions that came with it to talk about. To keep on top of those and other storylines, tune in for the UFC Freedom 250 post-fight press conference above following the event.

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Join us for a special Fight Companion as we react live to the FINAL 4 bouts on the UFC Freedom 250 card, a historic event taking place at the White House featuring championship stakes, star power, and enough drama to keep the MMA world talking long after the final bell.

Whether you’re watching along with friends or looking for a place to celebrate victories and vent about scorecards, we’ve got you covered with live analysis, instant reactions, and plenty of laughs throughout the night. So settle in, jump in the chat, and experience one of the wildest nights in UFC history with the Cageside Press crew.

UFC Freedom 250

Ilia Topuria (C) vs. Justin Gaethje – UFC Lightweight Championship
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane – UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi – Bantamweight Bout
Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis – Heavyweight Bout
Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler – Lightweight Bout
Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus – Middleweight Bout
Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia – Featherweight Bout

The historic UFC Freedom 250 card takes place June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC.

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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

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While the card lacks the likes of Jon Jones and Conor McGregor (the latter of whom returns to action next month), it was unquestionably made better by the addition of Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis. Hokit’s Fight of the Year contender against Curtis Blaydes back in April has made him appointment television, after all.

The main event, meanwhile, feels like another potential Fight of the Year candidate. Go ahead, name a boring Justin Gaethje fight, we dare you. Now do the same for Ilia Topuria. Put them together, and you’ve almost certainly got a powder keg on your hands.

The co-main event, meanwhile, offers a chance for Alex “Poatan” Pereira to claim a title, albeit an interim one, in a third weight class. A feat never before accomplished in UFC history. Standing in Pereira’s way as he moves to heavyweight, a former interim champ himself in France’s Ciryl Gane, who is looking to get back to a rematch with Tom Aspinall after their first encounter ended early due to eye pokes.

Weigh-ins for UFC Freedom 250 take place Saturday, June 13, 2026 starting at 11AM ET, 8AM PT. Full results can be found below.

All fighters made weight for UFC Freedom 250, with Josh Hokit, as usual, making the weigh-ins a little weird with his act. This time out, Hokit appeared to spit up on himself, then said “So what, maybe I was drinking was night. Who wouldn’t be? I have a giant black man that wants to knock me out, he has the most knockouts in UFC history.”

All a game to Hokit, who is one of the most divisive figures in the sport at the moment, but whose success in the cage has been undeniable.

An unbelievable scene then followed: Diego Lopes weighed in a second time, in a second weight class, as the back-up for the lightweight main event. Lopes hit the scale at 154lbs, after weighing in an hour or so earlier at 146. Quite possibly the first time a UFC fighter has made weight successfully twice in one day for two different fights at two different weight classes.

On his second attempt, Lopes did have a shirt and hat on.

UFC Freedom 250 Weigh-In Results

Lightweight: Ilia Topuria (c) (155) vs. Justin Gaethje (ic) (155) – for the UFC lightweight championship / title unification bout
Heavyweight: Alex Pereira (251) vs. Ciryl Gane (248) – for the interim UFC heavyweight championship
Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley (135.5) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (135)
Heavyweight: Josh Hokit (231) vs. Derrick Lewis (265)
Lightweight: Maurício Ruffy (155) vs. Michael Chandler (156)
Middleweight: Bo Nickal (186) vs. Kyle Daukaus (186)
Featherweight: Diego Lopes (146) vs. Steve Garcia (146)

Lightweight: Diego Lopes (154) – weighed in a second time as the main event backup

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How special is Alex Pereira?

Well, you are seeing history in the making. To put it in only a few words, you are seeing a fighter in “Poatan” who has not needed many fights or relatively even as much cage time as other fighters to put himself on the cusp of history to do what no UFC fighter has done before.

Poatan power hits DIFFERENT 😮‍💨@AlexPereiraUFC is ready to earn his belt back on Saturday night 🏆

[ #UFC320 | LIVE 10pmET on @ESPN PPV ] pic.twitter.com/agjI2VtM2e

— UFC (@ufc) October 2, 2025

The former kickboxing champion was only 3-1 when he was signed to the UFC back in 2021. It would be an understatement to say what came next has been considered a generational run. Four fights later, which took him just a single year to record by the way, he was already booked for his first UFC title fight against his former Glory rival and the reigning superstar middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. He was losing the bout, until he wasn’t. In the fifth round stopped Adesanya with an all-time epic rally to win UFC gold for the first time.

He would lose the title in the rematch, but reinvented himself shortly thereafter as a light-heavyweight and a year after winning his first belt he’d go on to win his second. Since then he’s won five title fights, briefly dropping the belt before taking it back decisively in the rematch to Magomed Ankalaev last year. Along the way he’s defeated six past, current, or future UFC champions. Oftentimes he has not even needed past the second round to dispatch his elite foes.

It’s a run that has brought him to the cusp of history. He reportedly went to the UFC office and pushed for a fight with heavyweight champion Jon Jones the night before he fought to reclaim his light heavyweight championship back in October. While it is not Jones he will be facing, Pereira is all the same challenging for the interim heavyweight title on Sunday, making him the first to compete for and potentially win UFC gold of any kind in three different weight classes. His career is already guaranteed to see him make it into the Hall of Fame, but what remains to be seen is if he will add more history to his resume before then.

Ciryl Gane’s journey looked rather similar once upon a time. “Bon Gamin” was only 3-0 when he was brought into the UFC in 2019 and rattled off seven straight wins en route to becoming the interim heavyweight champion two years later. Undefeated and being pushed as the next generation of MMA heavyweight, Gane would come up short against Francis Ngannou – who had previously been coached by Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez – in an attempt to unify the titles.

Put on a masterclass to become France's first champ 🇫🇷@Ciryl_Gane faces Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title at #UFCWhiteHouse on Sunday June 14!

[ Title fights presented by @Cryptocom ] pic.twitter.com/j62Xeai2xD

— UFC (@ufc) May 23, 2026

He would get back in the win-column before his second undisputed UFC title opportunity materialized, this time against the returning legend Jon Jones who was making his debut at heavyweight. That bid would be unsuccessful as well, with Gane making a crucial error that led to him being submitted in the first round.

Since then, Gane’s trajectory has not been a straight line. A bounce back win over Serghei Spivac led to a rematch with former foe Alexander Volkov in which Gane suffered an injured ankle and fans were divided when he was awarded a split-decision victory. That said, he was granted another shot at undisputed gold last October. This time against Tom Aspinall.

Brief as it was, the fight was notable for seeing Gane getting the better of the champion for the better part of the first round. Unfortunately, a severe eye-poke inflicted by Gane led to a No Contest in the match and Aspinall remains out of action as he rehabilitates the injury. Regardless of whether it seemed Gane would go on to finally win the belt that night, the fact remains that it was once more a title fight in which Gane left without UFC gold.

This leads to Sunday’s critical contest. This will be Gane’s fifth fight with UFC gold on the line and poise him to have even more attention going into a potential rematch with Aspinall were he to win. He also gets the advantage, at least at a glance, that this is the first opponent in a title fight who may be undersized for the weight class. If there was a time for Gane to finally win a proverbial big one, it feels as if it’s now.

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“I’m going to say maybe more than Tom (Aspinall), but the fight with Tom was huge also because a lot of people waiting for this fight. New bridge of generation of heavyweight. It was a beautiful event also,” Gane told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“But this one going to be unique. Going to be just historic so I’m happy. Pereira is a great champion.”

Gane (13-2) said he isn’t making the mistake of underestimating Pereira simply because of the move up in weight class. The former interim heavyweight champion expects Pereira and his team to have thoroughly prepared for the transition and plans to approach the matchup as if he’ll be facing the very best version of the Brazilian striker.

“He is a professional so I’m pretty sure what he do with his team. I’m preparing because we expected the best version of Alex Pereira (at) heavyweight. Full speed, conditioning and power,” he said.

The former UFC interim heavyweight champion is coming off a no contest bout with heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall which ended due to an unfortunate eye poke. Gane admitted the immediate aftermath of the bout left him dealing with a whirlwind of emotions, particularly after all the sacrifices and preparation that went into the fight.

“Straight after the fight, in the cage, I was a mix of feelings. Little bit frustrated, little bit angry, little bit sad because thinking about all the sacrifice I made. After that it was a good first round, injury free, most important is that,” he said.

“I was a little bit confused, but after that I was ok.”

Gane didn’t appear interested in escalating the war of words surrounding the controversy, instead taking a measured approach to Aspinall’s accusation. The French heavyweight maintained that he followed the rules throughout the contest and pointed to the referee’s handling of the situation as validation of his conduct inside the cage.

“This is his opinion. You have a beautiful professional referee. The referee told me nothing because I respect the rules. It’s just an opinion,” said Gane.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Ciryl Gane above. He faces Alex Pereira at UFC White House on Sunday night.

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