When is UFC White House?
UFC White House (UFC Freedom Fights 250) takes place on Sunday, June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. The opening bout — Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia at featherweight — is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM PT / 1:00 AM BST on Monday, June 15). The main event walkouts for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje are expected at approximately 11:00 PM ET, with the broadcast wrapping shortly after 11:30 PM ET if the championship fight ends inside the distance. The date was deliberately chosen to coincide with the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations and Flag Day weekend.
Where is UFC White House?
The event is being staged on the South Lawn of the White House, the 18-acre lawn behind the executive residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. A custom octagon and roughly 5,000-seat outdoor venue are being constructed for the night. It is the first sanctioned UFC card — and the first sanctioned professional MMA event of any promotion — ever held on the grounds of a U.S. presidential residence, making the South Lawn the most historically significant single-use venue in UFC history alongside the Apex and Madison Square Garden debuts.
What is the official name of the card?
The card is officially marketed under two interchangeable names: UFC White House (the colloquial / venue-driven name) and UFC Freedom Fights 250 (the branded, numbered name tied to the United States Semiquincentennial — the country's 250th birthday). Both names refer to the same seven-fight pay-per-view on June 14, 2026. UFC, ESPN+, and partner broadcasters use UFC Freedom Fights 250 in PPV listings; mainstream press and fans typically use UFC White House.
How many fights are on the card?
The card features seven fights — and only seven. There are no early prelims and no preliminary card; every bout is part of the main card pay-per-view broadcast. The lineup is: Topuria vs. Gaethje (lightweight title, 5 rounds), Pereira vs. Gane (heavyweight, 5 rounds), O'Malley vs. Zahabi (bantamweight), Lewis vs. Hokit (heavyweight), Ruffy vs. Chandler (lightweight), Nickal vs. Daukaus (middleweight), and Lopes vs. Garcia (featherweight).
How much is the PPV?
Pay-per-view pricing for UFC White House is expected to be $79.99 in the United States on ESPN+ (an active ESPN+ subscription is required to purchase), £24.99 in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports Box Office, A$59.95 in Australia on Main Event via Kayo and Foxtel, and CA$89.99 in Canada on UFC Fight Pass / Sportsnet. Prices are set by each regional broadcaster and may vary slightly at launch; bundle deals (PPV + annual ESPN+) typically reduce the effective cost by $20–$30.
How do I watch UFC White House?
In the United States, the card streams exclusively on ESPN+ PPV — you must hold an active ESPN+ subscription, then purchase the PPV as an add-on. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it airs on TNT Sports Box Office (formerly BT Sport Box Office). In Australia, it's on Main Event through Kayo Sports and Foxtel. UFC Fight Pass carries the event in Canada, Brazil, and most of Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. See our dedicated how-to-watch page for region-specific links, start times in your local timezone, and device compatibility (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, web, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox).
Why are there no prelims?
The card was deliberately designed as a single, condensed prime-time spectacle. With limited venue capacity on the South Lawn (~5,000 seats), strict Secret Service security windows, and a tight three-and-a-half-hour broadcast envelope on ESPN+, the UFC and the federal partner agreed to eliminate the traditional early-prelims and prelims tiers entirely. Every announced bout was elevated to main-card status, every fighter walks under PPV lights, and every fight is broadcast live — there is no Fight Pass or ESPN-only undercard.
Can the public buy tickets?
No. There is no general public on-sale and no resale through Ticketmaster, StubHub, or SeatGeek. The approximately 5,000-seat audience is strictly invitation-only, distributed through three channels: federal allocations (White House staff, members of Congress, military, veterans' organizations, first responders), UFC sponsor and broadcast partner allocations, and a limited fighter / team guest list. Any tickets advertised on secondary markets should be treated as fraudulent.
If a fight is cancelled, is there a refund?
Standard ESPN+ PPV refund policy applies. If the entire card is cancelled or postponed beyond a 48-hour window, full refunds of the $79.99 PPV charge are issued automatically to the original payment method within 7–10 business days. If a single bout — including the main event — is pulled but the rest of the card proceeds, no refunds are issued, as PPV is sold per event rather than per fight. International broadcasters (TNT Sports, Main Event) follow their own published cancellation policies, but most mirror the ESPN+ approach.
Who is the main event?
The main event is Ilia Topuria defending the undisputed UFC lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje. The fight is scheduled for five five-minute rounds with championship rules. Topuria (17-0, Spain/Georgia, Climent Club) enters as the undefeated champion riding momentum from his title runs at featherweight and lightweight. Gaethje (27-5, USA, Fight Ready) is the former interim lightweight champion and one of the most decorated strikers in the division's history. See our full main-event breakdown for tale-of-the-tape, stylistic matchups, and round-by-round projection.
Who is the co-main event?
The co-main event is Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane at heavyweight, scheduled for five five-minute rounds (non-title). It marks Pereira's official heavyweight debut after his championship reigns at middleweight and light-heavyweight — a rare three-division jump. Gane (13-2, 1 NC) is the former interim UFC heavyweight champion and one of the most technical strikers the division has ever produced. The winner is widely expected to receive the next heavyweight title shot. Full breakdown on our co-main page.
Who is favored in the main event?
As of May 21, 2026, Ilia Topuria is the betting favorite at -220 across major U.S. sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars), implying roughly a 69% chance to retain the title. Justin Gaethje is the underdog at +180, implying roughly a 36% chance to win. The line opened at Topuria -180 in March 2026 and has steadily moved toward the champion as fight week approaches. Live, in-fight odds will shift round to round on our odds page.
Who has the safest pick on the card?
By implied probability alone, Sean O'Malley at -450 over Aiemann Zahabi is the heaviest favorite of the night, with a market-implied win rate of approximately 82%. However, our in-house model rates Bo Nickal (-300 over Kyle Daukaus) as the highest-confidence pick on the card once stylistic matchups, grappling differentials, and reach are weighted in. Both fights project as the safest single-leg additions to a parlay; we cover full leg-by-leg confidence on the predictions page.
What is the best underdog pick?
Our top expected-value underdog play is Ciryl Gane at -125 against Alex Pereira — technically a slight favorite by closing line, but trading like a value side given Pereira's heavyweight debut and Gane's footwork and cardio edges. Beyond the co-main, Michael Chandler at +120 against Mauricio Ruffy and Kyle Daukaus at +240 against Bo Nickal offer the best plus-money EV on the card. See the underdogs page for full reasoning, suggested stake sizing, and live-bet triggers.
Is Bo Nickal on the card?
Yes. Bo Nickal (8-1, AKA) faces Kyle Daukaus (17-4, 1 NC, Balance Studios) in a three-round middleweight bout, scheduled to begin at approximately 8:30 PM ET as the second fight of the night. Nickal is a -300 favorite (~75% implied) and is widely expected to push toward a top-15 ranked opponent if he wins decisively. The fight is one of three middleweight-or-lighter contests on the card.
Is the lightweight title on the line?
Yes. The Topuria vs. Gaethje main event is for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship, contested over five five-minute rounds under championship MMA unified rules. A successful Topuria title defense would mark his first defense as 155-pound champion; a Gaethje win would make him the oldest first-time undisputed lightweight champion in promotional history at 37 years old.
What weight classes are on the card?
Five weight classes are represented across the seven fights: featherweight (145 lb — Lopes vs. Garcia), bantamweight (135 lb — O'Malley vs. Zahabi), lightweight (155 lb — Topuria vs. Gaethje and Ruffy vs. Chandler), middleweight (185 lb — Nickal vs. Daukaus), and heavyweight (265 lb — Pereira vs. Gane and Lewis vs. Hokit). There are no welterweight, light-heavyweight, or women's bouts on the card. Full division-by-division analysis is on our weight classes page.
How long will the broadcast be?
The total broadcast window is approximately three to three-and-a-half hours, preceded by a 10-minute pre-show including the national anthem and opening ceremony. The card begins at 8:00 PM ET sharp, with average gaps of 20–25 minutes between bouts. If every fight goes the distance, the main event would end around 11:55 PM ET; if the main event finishes inside the distance, the broadcast is expected to wrap shortly after 11:30 PM ET. ESPN+ replay becomes available approximately one hour after the live broadcast ends.
Has there ever been a UFC event at the White House before?
No. UFC White House on June 14, 2026, is the first sanctioned mixed-martial-arts event of any kind held on White House grounds in the residence's 230-year history (since the cornerstone was laid in 1792). No prior president has hosted a combat-sports event on-site. Boxing exhibitions have been staged at the White House — most famously informal sparring under Theodore Roosevelt — but no sanctioned, regulated, professional bout has ever taken place there before this card.
Who announced UFC White House?
UFC CEO Dana White first announced the card publicly in July 2025 during a press appearance, describing it as a centerpiece of the United States Semiquincentennial (America 250) program. The event was confirmed jointly by the Trump White House and UFC's parent company TKO Group Holdings, with the federal government acting as host and the Nevada State Athletic Commission designated as the sanctioning body via a special interstate compact. Fight bookings were finalized between November 2025 and March 2026.
Will the President attend the event?
As of May 21, 2026, the White House has not officially confirmed President Trump's attendance at the event, though sources close to the administration have indicated he is expected to be present cageside. Trump has personally attended more than a dozen UFC events as both a private citizen, candidate, and sitting president, and his long-standing relationship with Dana White predates UFC's growth into a global brand. Vice President and senior Cabinet attendance is also expected but not officially announced.
What is the broadcast time in the UK?
In the United Kingdom, the broadcast on TNT Sports Box Office begins at 1:00 AM BST on Monday, June 15, 2026 (the night of Sunday into Monday). The co-main event (Pereira vs. Gane) walkouts are scheduled for approximately 3:30 AM BST, and the main event (Topuria vs. Gaethje) walkouts for approximately 4:00 AM BST. The broadcast is expected to end between 4:30 and 5:00 AM BST. A same-day replay is available on TNT Sports from 10:00 AM BST.
Are there walkout songs being released early?
No. UFC fighter walkout songs are never officially released in advance of fight night and are routinely changed by fighters in the final 24–48 hours before the event. Expect each walkout to be revealed live during the broadcast. Our team will publish the full confirmed walkout-song list on the schedule page within an hour of the event ending.
Where can I find live odds?
Our dedicated odds page consolidates live moneyline, method-of-victory (KO/TKO, submission, decision), round-totals (over/under 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 rounds), exact-round, and fight-to-go-the-distance markets from the five largest U.S. sportsbooks. Lines are refreshed every 15 minutes during fight week and every 60 seconds during the live broadcast. The page also tracks consensus line movement and sharp money indicators so you can see where the smart action is going.
Where can I read fight-by-fight predictions?
Our predictions page covers all seven bouts on the card individually. Each fight prediction includes: the projected winner, the projected method of victory (KO/TKO, submission, or decision), the projected round, a numerical confidence rating (1–10), a suggested bet (straight moneyline, prop, or parlay leg), and approximately 150 words of stylistic reasoning that accounts for tape, camp, recent activity, reach, age, and trajectory. The predictions are updated through fight week as odds and news develop.
Still have a question? The deepest dives live on our main event breakdown, predictions hub, and how-to-watch guide.