UFC Freedom 250 is here, and we are all ready for war on the South Lawn of the White House. While the event is President Donald Trump’s birthday present from Dana White, fight fans will also view it as a delightful Sunday night gift. The names on the card scream finishes, and if one of them goes the distance, it will have been an absolute classic.

Two fights attract significant attention, with Alex Pereira aiming to do what nobody has ever done in the UFC, i.e., become a three-weight world champion. In his path stands what many regard as his most formidable challenger, but this is a phrase used for many of ‘Poatan’s opponents.

The main event sees Ilia Topuria defend his lightweight belt against Justin Gaethje, where he will look to increase his insane finish streak. Meanwhile, ‘The Highlight’ will look to live up to his moniker and clinch a highlight finish to close out the historic card.

Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje (Lightweight Championship Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): Topuria (WWWWW); Gaethje (WWLWW)

Reubyn: Gaethje always wins the fight to earn the title fight, but falters when the belt is up for grabs. He will go for those thunderous leg kicks to disrupt the champion’s rhythm. We know that, and Topuria will have prepared for it. Expect Ilia to check these and use his jab effectively to keep the challenger honest. Gaethje will swing hard, which is exactly what Topuria wants. He thrives on that as it gives him the opening he needs, and we’ve seen what happened when he had that opening against Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira. Winner: Topuria via T/KO in round 2. 

Yeswanth: Going with the oddsmakers on this one. The underdog is the underdog here for the right reasons. Topuria predicted a first-round finish, and that is what we will get if Gaethje fights with his signature reckless abandon. Unlike in the Pimblett fight, he doesn’t have the option to feel Ilia’s power and adjust inside the cage. Let’s assume Justin comes with a solid game plan, and Ilia still finishes him inside the first two rounds, three if we’re being generous.

Arman: As Eddie Alvarez pointed out, Gaethje’s only realistic path to victory runs through risking calf kicks in between Topuria’s punches to disrupt his rhythm before he can set up his combinations. But knowing it and executing it are two very different things, and Ilia will be ready for those signature kicks. Gaethje ends up becoming the next Dustin Poirier, the champ who never was. Topuria gets the finish inside two rounds.

Biplob: Leg kicks, body kicks, head kicks, and lateral movement would probably be Gaethje’s approach against Topuria. Also, Gaethje has a sneaky head kick that caught Poirier, so he would likely aim to land that on Topuria as well. However, considering the Spaniard has already taken those game plans into account, he should be able to find Gaethje’s chin by cutting off the cage, closing the distance, and landing his signature 2-3 combo. Can Gaethje surprise us? Yes, he has a puncher’s chance. But Topuria has done it against Volk, Max, and Charles, and there’s no reason to doubt he could do the same to Gaethje. Winner: Ilia Topuria by second-round KO.

Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight Championship Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): Pereira (WWWLW); Gane (WLWW NC)

Reubyn: Gane is agile and used to competing at this weight. He will evade Paotan’s strikes and look to outpoint the Brazilian. Can he do it for 25 minutes? No. Even if Pereira gets taken down, every round starts on the feet, and Alex will have that one opportunity to hurt Gane and capitalize. This will be interesting…for a while. Winner: Pereira by Round 3 T/KO

Yeswanth: This one will be a technical striking battle in all likelihood. Pereira, the two-weight champion chasing three-weight glory, against Gane, a heavyweight ex-interim champion who moves like a middleweight. Do not get your hopes up for a ‘Poatan’ special one-shot KO finish. Unless one of them decides to wrestle, this will be a drawn-out kickboxing chess match. Gane’s the more experienced heavyweight, and he will likely take Pereira down anytime he feels the Brazilian is gaining momentum on the feet. This one goes the distance, and Gane takes the decision win (split or unanimous).

Arman: Pereira wins, but this won’t be the one-sided showcase the casual fan is expecting. Gane is a legitimate striker, and the technical chess match will put Alex in uncomfortable positions, particularly notable given this is his first outing at heavyweight. There will be moments where Gane makes him work. But Poatan has a habit of finding a way, and he gets it done even if it goes to the judges. Prediction: Pereira by decision.

Biplob: At heavyweight, Pereira would possess considerably more power than he does at 205 lbs. But that extra weight could also slow him down in the later rounds, especially considering he’s reportedly over 250 lbs for this fight. Still, Pereira could use his leg kicks and sharp jab to restrict Gane’s movement early, and then land that devastating left hook to finish the fight. Pick: Pereira knocks out Gane in the third round.

Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi (Bantamweight Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): O’Malley (WWLLW); Zahabi (WWWWW)

Reubyn: O’Malley, as always, has a reach advantage in this division. He packs tremendous firepower and will prove to be too much for Zahabi. This is a very good fight for the Suga show to put together a streak before entering title conversations sometime next year. 

Yeswanth: Zahabi’s seven-fight winning streak will end on the South Lawn. His last two wins were contentious decisions. One against Jose Aldo, and the other against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.’ Both outings were in his home country, Canada. It’s hard to see him getting a call in his favor at the White House against O’Malley if he performs as he did in his last two. From a technical standpoint, Zahabi has the tools to beat ‘Suga.’ But O’Malley’s last performance against Song Yadong has given him much-needed confidence after the two straight losses to Dvalishvili. Prediction: Sean takes the decision win in a one-sided striking masterclass.

Arman: This shapes up as a long, measured stand-up contest. Zahabi’s last few outings weren’t particularly impressive, and while he won’t go away quietly, O’Malley controls the range throughout. The judges reward him for it. Suga takes the decision.

Biplob: One of the most confident picks of the night for me is Sean O’Malley. When it comes to pure striking ability, O’Malley outclasses most bantamweights, and he’ll likely continue that trend against Aiemann Zahabi. The Canadian’s takedowns remain a threat, but O’Malley has developed enough takedown defense to keep the fight standing and pick Zahabi apart on the feet. Prediction: O’Malley via unanimous decision.

Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis (Heavyweight Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): Hokit (WWWWW); Lewis (LWWLW)

Reubyn: A Lewis win will be really incredible. That’s what I’m going for as I’m eager to see some hilarious ‘Black Beast’ antics on the South Lawn. Hokit will look to grapple, but Lewis will hold him off long enough. Maybe he can even land a fight-ending right while Hokit changes levels. Winner: Lewis by KO Round 1. 

Yeswanth: Somehow, the most American fight on a card that features Michael Chandler. Hokit, for all his antics, can throw down. He’s durable, as we saw in his last outing. Unless Lewis finds that one power shot to shut his lights off early, Hokit will drag it out and get the win. Prediction – The Incredible Hok gets the win in round two or three.

Arman: Lewis has a history of coming up short on the biggest stages of his career, and there is little on this card to suggest a different outcome. Even the ‘Black Beast’ has acknowledged his career-long battle with back problems. Hokit is riding momentum and has shown he can take his opponents out; Hokit gets the finish here.

Biplob: Josh Hokit would probably show his wrestling credentials against Derrick Lewis this time. Hokit, who’s a former NCAA Division I wrestler, would likely stay away from exchanges with Lewis and eventually take him down. But I feel he would get it done through ground-and-pound more than a submission. Prediction: Josh Hokit via second-round TKO. 

Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler (Lightweight Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): Ruffy (WLWWW); Chandler (LLLWL)

Reubyn: Chandler’s record makes for horrendous reading, but one thing is that he will go for it at the start. He will have a puncher’s chance, but so will Ruffy. The Brazilian, 11 years younger than his opponent, will likely bait Chandler to take a wild swing and lose his shape before unleashing a counter. This one’s gonna be ugly for Chandler, with a second-round finish for Ruffy. Winner: Ruffy by T/KO in Round 2.

Yeswanth: For anyone who wanted to see McGregor vs. Chandler at the White House, this is the next best thing. A Brazilian stylistic clone of the early 2010s era McGregor, Ruffy has only lost just once in the last seven years. But Chandler is the perfect profile to cause him trouble. If ‘Iron’ Michael sticks to his claim and fights for himself rather than entertaining the fans, he could wrestle a win away from Ruffy. The Benoit Saint-Denis fight is his blueprint. But there are too many factors working against Chandler – age, height, momentum, to name a few. So, I think Ruffy takes this one via a TKO finish in Round 3.

Arman: Expecting a war regardless of who gets their hand raised. But Chandler has a recurring tendency to let big moments get the better of him. Ruffy’s momentum makes him the safer pick. Chandler fades, and Ruffy claims this one on the judges’ scorecards. 

Biplob: This fight has all the ingredients to become Fight of the Night. We have an explosive striker like Michael Chandler, who never shies away from a good old phone booth scrap. Then there’s Mauricio Ruffy’s surgical precision with his shots that rarely miss the mark. Well, Chandler can make the fight interesting by using his wrestling. But judging by Chandler’s past fights, he would most likely resort to putting on an entertaining performance for the White House audience, without thinking much about the result. Prediction: Mauricio Ruffy by third-round KO.

Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus (Middleweight Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): Nickal (WLWWW); Daukaus (WWWWW)

Reubyn: Okay, so we got a grappling match. Yeah, it’s MMA, but this is going to be a grappling bout. Daukaus has the credentials, but to hold his own against Nickal will be tough. Winner: Nickal by submission in Round 2. 

Yeswanth: One for the wrestlers. Nickal takes this one easy. The only question is if he’ll choose to showcase his wrestling credentials or go for the Jorge Masvidal-certified headkick he used against Rodolfo Vieira in his last fight. Prediction: Nickal gets the finish in the first.

Arman: Nickal is as complete a grappler as this division has seen in years, and he has the finishing instincts to go with it if the fight stays on the feet. Daukaus comes in with a point to prove after being cut and re-signed, and that hunger is real. But Nickal has fumbled when the stakes were high before; this time, though, it feels different. Nickal gets it done. 

Biplob: Going with Bo Nickal on this one. Most people are rightfully picking him because of his wrestling, but I believe he would show once again that his striking has improved since the crushing loss to RDR. Not sensing a knockout here, but Bo would probably dominate the fight, showing a well-rounded performance, and get the nod from the judges just like the Cody Brundage fight. Pick: Bo Nickal via unanimous decision.

Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia (Featherweight Bout)

Win Loss (Last Five): Lopes (LWLWW); Garcia (WWWWW)

Reubyn: Garcia is going to go for it, and honestly, he has to. That’s his only key to victory, as he can’t get it done on points against someone who has gone the distance twice against Alexander Volkanovski. In doing so, he leaves himself open to…another spinning backfist maybe? Lopes is exciting and can pull it off. Winner: Lopes by Round 3 T/KO. 

Yeswanth: The perfect storm to kick off a historic evening. Lopes and Garcia will swing for the fences early. Between the two, Lopes seems to have the better chin. He was eating the big shots from Jean Silva and still going forward. Steve Garcia’s last loss was a TKO in 2022, and Lopes’ last loss on the feet was in 2018. Lopes seems to be the safe pick here. I sense a Round 2 finish for the Brazilian.

Arman: Lopes has made no secret of his desire to move up in weight; featherweight is a pit stop, and this fight at the White House was the only reason he said yes. Garcia is a rising star on a high, but Lopes carries a more credible resume. Prediction: Lopes, whenever he decides to wrap this one up. 

Biplob: Diego Lopes is coming off another loss against the great Alexander Volkanovski. But he has looked immaculate against most of his opponents who aren’t named Volkanovski. His UFC Noche performance against Jean Silva, especially, was top-notch. Against Steve Garcia, the Brazilian-Mexican would most likely put on a similar performance, leaving his opponent bloodied to start the night. Pick: Diego Lopes via second-round TKO.