UFC Freedom 250 set for White House with Topuria-Gaethje unification bout
The seven-bout main card streams on Paramount+ on Sunday, featuring betting favourites Ilia Topuria and Ciryl Gane, while expert predictions highlight underdog opportunities.
The UFC Freedom 250 event is scheduled to take place on Sunday at the White House in Washington, D.C., headlining a lightweight championship unification bout between current champion Ilia Topuria and two-time interim champion Justin Gaethje. The seven-bout main card is set to commence at approximately 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Paramount+. The co-main event features a heavyweight interim title contest between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.
Betting markets from DraftKings Sportsbook have installed Topuria as the significant favourite at -520 against Gaethje, who is listed at +390. In the heavyweight interim title bout, Gane enters as the -115 favourite over Pereira, who is priced at -105. Other scheduled bouts include Sean O’Malley (-440) against Aiemann Zahabi (+340), Josh Hokit (-410) versus Derrick Lewis (+320), and Mauricio Ruffy (-650) against Michael Chandler (+470).
SportsLine expert Kyle Marley has released predictions for the card, offering a distinct perspective from the heavy market favourites. Marley is backing Diego Lopes (-162) to secure a submission victory over Steve Garcia (+136) in a featherweight bout. Marley argues that while Garcia possesses dangerous striking power, Lopes’ grappling advantage will likely dictate the fight’s trajectory on the ground.
Marley also predicts an underdog victory in the main event between Topuria and Gaethje, citing superior speed and skill, although the specific fighter is not identified in the source material. His analysis notes that bettors who have followed his picks over the past three years have seen significant returns, with over $10,000 profit on $100 bets since May 2018.
Tensions have escalated among competitors ahead of the event, particularly involving Josh Hokit and Topuria. Hokit was removed from a previous press conference after making remarks about Alex Pereira’s mother, and Topuria allegedly attempted to confront Hokit by throwing a water bottle at him during promotional appearances.
A pre-fight press conference is scheduled for Friday, June 12, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., at 8:15 p.m. ET. The event will feature Topuria, Gaethje, Pereira, and Hokit, and will be broadcast live via Paramount+ and the official UFC YouTube channel.
