The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s eagerly awaited live spectacle at the White House is slated to feature two championship bouts as its main attractions, the organization revealed Saturday evening.
The premier contest will be a lightweight championship clash between the reigning champion, Ilia Topuria, and the interim title possessor, Justin Gaethje. Furthermore, the dual-division UFC champion, Alex Pereira, will pursue an unparalleled third championship against Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight crown in the secondary main event.
Officials from the UFC disclosed these pairings during the broadcast of UFC 326. This event at the White House, which the promoter has branded as UFC Freedom Fights 250, is scheduled for June 14, aligning with President Donald Trump’s 80th anniversary of birth. Moreover, the gathering is intended to commemorate the 250th year of the United States.
Four additional contests will complete the fight card for the White House occasion: a bantamweight encounter featuring Sean O’Malley and Aiemann Zahabi; a lightweight clash pitting Mauricio Ruffy against Michael Chandler; a middleweight showdown between Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukaus; and another lightweight contest involving Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia.
Topuria (with a record of 17-0), a 29-year-old born in Spain, holds two weight class titles and is broadly recognized as one of the combat sport’s most formidable knockout specialists. Last June, he successfully ascended from the featherweight division, securing the UFC’s 155-pound championship by defeating Charles Oliveira via a first-round knockout.
Towards the end of 2025, Topuria declared his intention to step away temporarily to address private matters. Having resolved those concerns, he is now prepared for his initial championship defense and, conceivably, a subsequent transition to the welterweight category.
Gaethje (sporting a 27-5 record), aged 37, will endeavor to capitalize on his third chance to claim a UFC championship. He vied for the title in both 2020 and 2022, falling short against legendary figures such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Oliveira. In January, during Topuria’s unavailability, he secured the interim championship by triumphing over Paddy Pimblett through a unanimous decision rendered in Las Vegas.
Gaethje holds the distinction of being a two-time interim titleholder and an 18-year seasoned professional in the sport. While he resides and trains in Denver, his birthplace and upbringing were in Safford, Arizona, a modest community focused on mining.
As Pereira and Gane prepare to contend for the interim championship, the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight king, Tom Aspinall (with a 15-3 record), will retain his official belt for the time being, as he proceeds with his recovery from ocular injuries sustained during his previous encounter with Gane in October.
Pereira (13-3), hailing from Brazil, previously held both the middleweight and light heavyweight championships. In 2022, he attained the UFC’s 185-pound championship by delivering a knockout blow to Israel Adesanya, and precisely one year subsequent, he effectively secured the light heavyweight title by besting Jiří Procházka. Pereira relinquished his 205-pound strap to Magomed Ankalaev in March 2025, yet he managed to recapture the title in an instant rematch held in October.
Gane (13-2), originating from France, previously held an interim championship. He contested Aspinall for the official championship in October; however, the fight concluded as a no-contest subsequent to Aspinall’s inability to persist, attributed to injuries resulting from what was determined to be an unintentional eye poke by Gane. Gane possesses an overall record of 10-2 within the UFC. His sole defeats have occurred in championship encounters against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.