UFC Freedom 250: Ranking the Best Fighters on the Card

When it was first mentioned in hypothetical terms sometime last year, it seemed like a pipe dream. Suddenly, it's just a few days away from fruition.

On Sunday, June 14—Donald Trump's 80th birthday and ostensibly a date linked somehow to the USA's 250th anniversary next month—there will be UFC fights on the White House lawn. 

It's no surprise that this event has polarized people. Fight fans have been debating its merit and purpose since it was first broached by the U.S. President early last year.

One thing that is not open to question is the quality of the fights. While the White House show looks a little different than your normal UFC event, with only seven fights instead of the typical 12 or 13, every contest on the lineup is top of the line. 

In the main event, lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will defend his belt against interim champ Justin Gaethje, and continue what is undeniably one of the best streaks in MMA history.

In the co-main event, Alex Pereira will have history in mind when he bids for the interim heavyweight belt against Ciryl Gane. He's already joined the ranks of two-division champs, having won belts at light heavyweight and middleweight, but if he beats Gane, he'll be the first fighter in UFC history to win belts in three divisions. 

And that's just the top two fights. While there won't be any other belts up for grabs at the White House, every fight on the lineup has massive potential for spectacle and relevance for the immediate future of the sport. 

As the event draws ever closer, here are five fighters on the bill we should be paying the most attention to. 

5. Ciryl Gane

Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty Images

Most of the discussion over the UFC White House main event surrounds Alex Pereira's historic bid for a third title—but let's not sleep on Ciryl Gane.

While the Frenchman has yet to claim an undisputed title in the UFC, he's one of the best heavyweights we've seen in recent years.

A former muay thai fighter, he entered the MMA limelight as a competitor in Canada's iconic TKO promotion—the same organization that produced Georges St-Pierre. He signed with the UFC at just 3-0 in 2019, and has since beaten the likes of Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Serghei Spivac, almost exclusively with his elite striking.

At present, Gane is best known for sending undisputed heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall to the sidelines with a series of accidental eye pokes in 2025. If he's able to beat Pereira and claim the interim heavyweight belt at the White House—a far greater possibility than many fans believe—that will change completely.

4. Sean O'Malley

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

A lot of fans seem to have written off Sean O'Malley, but it's definitely still too soon to do so.

O'Malley entered the UFC with a ton of hype, thanks to a statement-making KO on Dana White's Contender Series in 2017. Ten fights later, he finally lived up to expectations, knocking out Aljamain Sterling to claim the UFC bantamweight belt.

While O'Malley managed to defend the belt once, with a lopsided decision defeat of Marlon "Chito" Vera, his title reign was short-lived. First, he lost the belt with a decision defeat to Merab Dvalishvili. Then, he was submitted by Dvalishvili in an immediate rematch.

Those two losses seem to have convinced a lot of people that he is somehow washed, or perhaps never as good as we thought, but that's ridiculous.

Dvalishvili is arguably the greatest bantamweight ever, and outside of those losses, O'Malley has beaten everyone he's encountered in the Octagon, including reigning champ Petr Yan, and most recently, longtime contender Song Yadong.

His next assignment will see him take on Aiemann Zahabi in Washington D.C. The Canadian is one of his lower-profile opponents of late but an elite fighter, and a victory could position him for another bid at his division's title.

No. 3: Justin Gaethje

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Ahead of Sunday's White House fights, Justin Gaethje is being treated like a bit of a sacrificial lamb. Despite being the highest-profile American on the card, he has been widely counted out against Topuria, who most expect to deliver yet another vicious knockout victory on the night.

Counting Gaethje out could be foolish, though.

"The Highlight" is one of the best lightweights ever. A former PFL champ, he has put together a stunning resume in the UFC.

While an undisputed title win has eluded him, he has beaten some of the best lightweights of multiple generations, including talents like Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, Rafael Fiziev, Dustin Poirier, and most recently, Paddy Pimblett, who he defeated by decision to claim the interim lightweight belt in January. He's also unfailingly entertaining, having earned post-fight bonuses in nearly all of his Octagon appearances.

Make no mistake: Gaethje is an underdog against Topuria for a reason. However, his legacy in the sport is already set in stone, and even at 37, he still has the skills to pull off a gargantuan upset at UFC Freedom 250.

2. Alex Pereira

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

You would be hard-pressed to find a fighter with a more impressive combat sports resume than Alex Pereira. 

The hard-hitting Brazilian first entered the combat sports limelight as a kickboxer, becoming one of just two two-division champions in Glory history. He could have rested on his laurels after accomplishing that feat, but he didn't.

Instead, he migrated to MMA, and has since won belts in both the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, defeating the likes of Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, Khalil Rountree, and Magomed Ankalaev along the way. He has, without question, put together one of the greatest resumes we've seen in combat sports.

Despite being 38 years old, he's still chasing history. If he beats Ciryl Gane on Sunday, Pereira will be the first in UFC history to win belts in three divisions.

It's going to be a tough task, as he'll be giving up size and perhaps knockout power to the Frenchman, but if anybody can pull it off, it's "Poatan."

No. 1: Ilia Topuria

Ian Maule/Getty Images

There is perhaps no fighter alive better than Ilia Topuria.

Reigning welterweight champ Islam Makhachev would certainly challenge that claim, but Topuria is one of the most elite competitors we've seen in this sport. He's proved that decisively by this point—primarily in his last three fights. 

Topuria first entered the MMA pantheon in 2024, when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski—one of the best fighters ever—to claim the featherweight belt. He then defended the belt with a 2024 knockout of Max Holloway, another iconic fighter.

His last fight occurred in 2025, when he knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight belt and become one of just a few two-division champs in UFC history. 

Of course, it's not just who Topuria has beaten, it's how he's done it. Over the course of his career, the Georgia-born Spaniard has made a habit of making world-class fighters look average. He'll be looking to do so again against Gaethje on the White House lawn.