EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe UFC's highly anticipated live event at the White House will be headlined by a pair of title fights, the promotion announced Saturday night.A lightweight title fight between undisputed champion Ilia Topuria and interim title holder Justin Gaethje will serve as the main event, while two-weight UFC champion Alex Pereira will seek an unprecedented third belt against Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship in the co-main event.UFC officials announced the matchups during the UFC 326 broadcast. The White House event, which the promotion has dubbed UFC Freedom Fights 250, is set to take place on June 14, which coincides with U.S. president Donald Trump's 80th birthday. The event is also meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence Day.Four other fights will round out the White House event: a bantamweight bout between Sean O'Malley and Aiemann Zahabi; a lightweight bout between Mauricio Ruffy and Michael Chandler; a middleweight bout between Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukaus; and a lightweight bout between Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia.Topuria (17-0), a 29-year-old native of Spain, is a two-weight champion and widely considered one of the most dangerous knockout artists in the sport. He successfully moved up from featherweight last June and won the UFC's 155-pound championship with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira.In late 2025, Topuria announced he would take some time off to deal with personal issues. With those matters behind him, he is poised for his first title defense and, potentially, a future move to welterweight.Gaethje (27-5), 37, will attempt to defend home soil and take advantage of his third opportunity to win a UFC title. He fought for the belt in 2020 and 2022 and came up short against all-time greats in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Oliveira. He claimed the interim championship in Topuria's absence in January by defeating Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision in Las Vegas.Gaethje is a two-time interim champion and 18-year veteran of the sport. He lives and trains out of Denver but was born and raised in Safford, Arizona, a small mining community.With Pereira and Gane set to fight for the interim title, the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall (15-3), will hold onto his official title for now as he continues to work back from eye injuries suffered during his last appearance against Gane in October.Pereira (13-3) is a former middleweight and light heavyweight champion. He became the UFC's 185-pound champion in 2022 by knocking out Israel Adesanya, and successfully became the light heavyweight champion one year later by defeating JiY Prochzka. Pereira surrendered his 205-pound belt to Magomed Ankalaev in March 2025, but reclaimed the belt in an immediate rematch in October.Gane (13-2), of France, is a former interim title holder. He challenged Aspinall for the official belt in October, but the bout ended in a no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue due to injuries suffered by what was ruled an accidental eye poke by Gane. Gane is 10-2 overall in the UFC. His only losses have come in championship fights against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
