UFC Freedom 250: Gaethje defeats Topuria at White House event hosted by Trump

UFC Freedom 250 took place on June 15, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC, an unprecedented venue for a major UFC event. The card featured seven fights and was hosted by President Donald Trump to celebrate his 80th birthday and the nation's 250th anniversary.

In the main event, American lightweight Justin Gaethje achieved a stunning upset victory over defending champion Ilia Topuria. Gaethje bloodied the Spanish-Georgian opponent with a left-right combination to the face in the third round, prompting an extended break during which ringside doctors indicated concern about Topuria's condition. Topuria's corner ultimately called for the fight to be stopped after the fourth round. After securing the UFC lightweight title, Gaethje was greeted by President Trump in the Octagon.

The co-main event saw French heavyweight Ciryl Gane knock out Brazilian Alex Pereira in the second round at 1:27 with a left to the chin to win the interim UFC heavyweight title. Other notable results included Sean O'Malley securing a knockout of Canadian Aiemann Zahabi in a bantamweight bout, with O'Malley saluting troops after his victory. Diego Lopes knocked out Steve Garcia in a featherweight contest, Mauricio Ruffy defeated Michael Chandler in a lightweight fight, Josh Hokit beat Derrick Lewis in the second round of a heavyweight matchup, and Bo Nickal knocked out Kyle Daukaus in the first round of a middleweight bout.

The event featured distinctive ceremonial elements, with fighters warming up in various historic rooms of the White House before passing through the Oval Office on their way to the Octagon. The unusual venue and timing of the event coincided with President Trump confirming a diplomatic deal to end the war in Iran and enable oil traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.