The UFC takes over Washington D.C. this summer for the most unusual event in the promotion’s three-decade history. UFC Freedom 250 lands on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday 14 June 2026, the first combat sports event ever staged on White House grounds and the centrepiece of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
For UK fight fans, the headline is the undisputed lightweight title clash between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, with seven main card bouts confirmed including a heavyweight scrap between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. Action is live on TNT Sports 1 in the early hours of Monday 15 June UK time, with UFC betting markets open across every fight on the card.
Here’s everything you need to know about the UFC White House card, from the full fight lineup to UK broadcast details and the most popular betting markets.
What is UFC Freedom 250?
UFC Freedom 250, widely known as the UFC White House card, is a one-off event staged to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The card is built around a centrepiece undisputed lightweight title fight and a series of high-profile bouts on the South Lawn of the White House, with the entire production tied to America’s quarter-millennium celebrations.
The event represents a genuine first for combat sports. No professional fighting event has ever been held on the grounds of the White House, and the venue alone makes Freedom 250 one of the most-anticipated UFC nights of the modern era. Production includes a custom-built outdoor arena on the South Lawn, ceremonial weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, and a public watch party at The Ellipse with up to 85,000 free tickets issued by the UFC.
The total cost of staging UFC Freedom 250 is estimated to exceed $60 million, with the entire production funded by the UFC itself. The figure puts the event well above the $21 million spent on UFC 306 at The Sphere in 2024, which previously held the record as the most expensive single UFC night.
Capacity at the South Lawn venue is capped at around 4,300, with most seats reserved for US military personnel. The card date also coincides with Flag Day, which has been incorporated into the event’s branding as the “Freedom 250” name.
UFC White House full fight card
The UFC White House card was confirmed in May 2026, with seven main card bouts locked in across multiple weight divisions. The lineup is one of the deepest of the year, featuring two title fights and several notable rising contenders.
UFC Freedom 250 main card:
- Main Event: Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje (Undisputed Lightweight Title)
- Co-Main Event: Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane (Interim Heavyweight Title)
- Featured Bout: Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi (Bantamweight)
- Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit (Heavyweight)
- Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler (Lightweight)
- Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus (Middleweight)
- Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia (Featherweight)
Full UFC Freedom 250 betting markets across every main card and preliminary bout are available at BetVictor. Visit our UFC White House Freedom 250 betting page for the latest odds.
Headline fight: Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje
The main event sees Spanish-Georgian phenom Ilia Topuria put his 17-0 unbeaten record and undisputed UFC Lightweight title on the line against American knockout artist Justin Gaethje. Topuria, the first fighter in UFC history to win belts in two divisions while remaining undefeated, heads into the bout as a heavy favourite with sportsbooks.
Topuria, 29, captured the lightweight title in stunning fashion at UFC 317 in June 2025, knocking out former champion Charles Oliveira in just 2 minutes 27 seconds of the opening round. The performance extended his run of stoppage finishes in UFC title fights, following first-round and second-round knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at featherweight.
Gaethje (27-5) is the interim lightweight champion and arguably the most exciting striker in the division’s history. With 20 of his 27 career wins coming by knockout, “The Highlight” represents a genuine threat to Topuria’s perfect record. The Arizona-based veteran has gone to war with the best the lightweight division has produced, including a Fight of the Year contender against Dustin Poirier in 2024.
Between them, the two men have racked up 35 career knockouts, suggesting this one is unlikely to go quietly to the judges’ scorecards.
For full Topuria fight history, stats, and the latest odds, see our Ilia Topuria odds page.
Arman Tsarukyan, who was originally scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311 before withdrawing the day before the fight with a back injury, has been confirmed as the official backup fighter for the main event. Tsarukyan would step in if either Topuria or Gaethje is unable to make the walk on fight night.
Co-main event: Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane
The co-main features two-division kickboxing legend Alex Pereira moving up to heavyweight for the first time in his UFC career, challenging Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. A win for Pereira would make him the first three-weight UFC champion in the promotion’s history. Only Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier have held titles in two divisions, and neither managed a third. Pereira already holds the rare distinction of capturing both the middleweight and light heavyweight belts, and now sits one win away from a historic third division in just three years on the UFC roster.
Pereira, a former light heavyweight and middleweight champion, brings devastating striking power and a now-legendary left hook into the heavyweight division. Gane, the French former interim heavyweight champion, offers a stark stylistic contrast: technical boxing, distance management and one of the most polished defensive games in the heavyweight ranks.
Early markets have the bout as one of the most competitive on the card, with both fighters around even money in some books. Method of victory markets are likely to draw heavy interest given Pereira’s KO power and Gane’s tendency to use his footwork to take fights into the championship rounds.
How to watch UFC Freedom 250 in the UK
UK fight fans can watch UFC Freedom 250 live on TNT Sports 1, with the action also available via the TNT Sports app and discovery+ Premium. As with most US-based UFC events, the card runs into the early hours of Monday morning UK time.
UFC White House UK broadcast details:
- Channel: TNT Sports 1
- Streaming: TNT Sports app, discovery+ Premium
- UK Date: Sunday 14 June into early hours of Monday 15 June 2026
- Main Card UK Start Time: To be confirmed closer to fight night
TNT Sports is available standalone as part of discovery+ Premium, or bundled with Sky TV, BT TV and TalkTalk TV packages. For UK viewers without an existing subscription, the discovery+ Premium standalone option offers a flexible monthly contract to access TNT Sports coverage.
UK fight time will be confirmed in the build-up to the event. Historically, UFC main cards from the US East Coast begin around 3:00 AM UK time.
Most popular UFC White House betting markets
The depth of the UFC Freedom 250 card means UK punters have a wide selection of markets to consider, from outright winner bets on the main event to method of victory and round betting on every bout. BetVictor offers UFC betting markets across all seven main card fights and the preliminary lineup.
The most popular UFC White House betting markets include:
- Outright Winner (MoneyLine): Pick the fighter you back to win. Topuria opens as a strong favourite over Gaethje, with the Pereira vs Gane co-main much closer to even money.
- Method of Victory: Predict how the fight will end. Options include KO/TKO, Submission, or Decision. Given Topuria’s striking pedigree, “Topuria to win by KO/TKO” is one of the most popular markets ahead of the main event.
- Round Betting: Predict the exact round the fight will end in. With both Topuria and Gaethje known for explosive openings, early-round markets often draw value.
- Total Rounds: Bet on whether the fight will go over or under a set number of rounds. Championship fights are scheduled for 5 rounds, with main card non-title bouts going 3 rounds.
- Fight To Go The Distance: A yes/no market on whether the bout reaches the judges’ scorecards. Topuria has finished 15 of his 17 professional wins inside the distance.
- Same Game Multi: Combine multiple markets from the same bout for boosted odds. For example, Topuria to win by KO in round 1 combined with the fight not going the distance.
Live in-play betting is also available across every main card bout, with odds updating round-by-round throughout the night.
