After months of planning, preparation and buildup, the UFC Freedom 250 card is finally set to take place in Washington D.C. on the White House lawn on Saturday.
The card is compressed, but features a star-studded list of participants including Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira and Sean O’Malley.
Rising star Josh Hokit is also featured on the card, which is sure to drum up a viral and likely controversial moment if they dare hand him a live microphone. Derrick Lewis will get the chance to fight as well, largely owing to the fact that he’s become known as one of President Trump’s favorite fighters. Needless to say, there’s plenty of intrigue despite the condensed action.
The Main Event
Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ilia Topuria celebrates his championship victory against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports The main event of Freedom 250 is headlined by the return of Topuria, a fighter who sits atop the UFC’s own pound-for-pound rankings and is widely regarded as the best fighter on the planet in the current moment.
The 29-year-old Topuria makes his way back to the sport to fight Justin Gaethje after a nearly yearlong hiatus following his devastating knockout of Charles Oliveria last June, caused by bitter and highly publicized divorce proceedings with his now ex-wife.
Gaethje earned the chance to fight for the UFC Lightweight title after upsetting Paddy Pimblett to earn the interim belt in January. Topuria relinquished his belts when he announced he was stepping away in November, allowing Gaethje the chance to fight his way onto the biggest stage in the sport in quite some time.
The expectation is that Topuria will not only come back as the same fighter, but that the trials he’s faced as a man over the last year will make him even more unbeatable. He’s occupied that coveted top spot in the P4P rankings since his punishment of Oliveira capped off a three-fight run that also saw him knockout two more future Hall of Famers, Max Holloway and Alex Volkanovski, in cold blood. Topuria, is a decisive favorite and despite his long absence, it’s hard to fathom a path for Gaethje that doesn’t involve a lucky knockout.
On the other hand, if there’s any guy in the UFC who can catch you off guard and put you to sleep, it’s Gaethje. The 37-year-old is front and center in these moments in large part because of his ability to stand, bang and entertain. Saturday is unquestionably the most meaningful fight of his career, and he’ll almost certainly come out swinging for the fences to not only give the fans what they want to see but to give himself even the slightest chance at victory.
Other Fights
Oct 22, 2022; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Sean O’Malley (blue gloves) defeats Petr Yan (red gloveS) during UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Kidwell-Imagn Images Pereira is set to take on French powerhouse Cyril Gane in the co-main event, a fight that will be contested for the interim UFC Heavyweight belt due to champion Tom Aspinall’s extended absence with an eye injury. Pereira’s last fight in October saw him avenge his defeat to Magomed Ankalaev earlier that year with a stunning first round knockout to earn the UFC Light Heavyweight title. Pereira vacated that belt 11 days later however, and will now get the opportunity to become the first three division champion in UFC history.
O’Malley is set to face off against Aiemann Zahabi as O’Malley looks to build off a much-needed win against Song Yadong in January. Zahabi is riding a seven-fight winning streak, with his last two wins coming against Marlon “Chito” Vera and Jose Aldo. Hokit and Lewis are actually set to square off against each other, and you can all but guarantee someone (likely Lewis) is going to sleep early in that one.
The remaining matchups on the card include Mauricio Ruffy, a rising star out of Brazil’s “Fighting Nerds” camp, against American fan favorite Michael Chandler. Former national champion wrestler and seasoned brawler Bo Nickal will square off against Kyle Dauskas, while Diego Lopes will look to bounce back from his Featherweight title fight loss against Volkanovski in February in his bout against Steve Garcia.
