For just the third time since the UFC was created in 1993, the promotion returned to Washington, D.C. for its first-ever fight card at the nation’s capital, Freedom 250. The card, which took place on the White House’s South Lawn, was full of big moments as each of the bouts ended by knockout.
In the main event, Justin Gaethje pulled up an unthinkable upset, dethroning former two-division champion Ilia Topuria to claim the lightweight championship. Gaethje a former two-time interim champion, had never claimed undisputed gold inside the Octagon, but that changed on Sunday night in a frontrunner for fight of the year.
Also on the card, Ciryl Gane knocked out former two-division champion Alex Pereira to claim the interim heavyweight title and solidify his standing as the No. 1 contender for the heavyweight championship. And Sean O’Malley returned to his finishing form with an impressive knockout over Aiemann Zahabi. This was O’Malley’s first KO victory since 2023.
ESPN MMA contributors break down all the action from UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
