UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje live results, analysis

UFC Freedom 250 is live from the White House in Washington. In the main event, Ilia Topuria defends the lightweight title against interim champ Justin Gaethje. theScore's Nick Baldwin is providing live results and analysis. Pull down to refresh for updates.

📌 Jump to: O'Malley's TKO | Hokit's TKO | Ruffy's TKO | Nickal's TKO | Lopes' KO

Gane steamrolls Pereira

Alex Pereira came up short in his bid to become the first UFC fighter to win titles in three divisions, suffering a TKO defeat to Ciryl Gane with the interim championship on the line.

For more, tap here!

Pereira's White House walkout 🏹

O'Malley gets walk-off TKO vs. Zahabi

Former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley dropped the hammer on Aiemann Zahabi for a walk-off TKO in the final non-title bout of the card. The finish came at the 4:02 mark of the second round.

O'Malley floored Zahabi with a straight left and then put him down again with a right hand.

It was the 31-year-old's first stoppage win since August 2023 when he knocked out Aljamain Sterling to claim the 135-pound title.

O'Malley tied former champion TJ Dillashaw for the most knockouts in UFC bantamweight history (seven). He celebrated the win by saluting the troops:

O'Malley is now riding a two-fight winning streak and is in the running for a title shot later this year.

"Petr Yan. ... That's what I want next," O'Malley said in his postfight interview.

Zahabi's seven-fight winning streak came to an end. The 38-year-old Canadian suffered his first loss since 2019 and first stoppage defeat since 2017.

Hokit runs over Lewis

Josh Hokit dominated Derrick Lewis in a highly anticipated heavyweight bout, putting the former title challenger away with punches at the 4:09 mark of the second round.

Hokit hurt Lewis with a two-punch combination and then followed up with more strikes as Lewis fell to the canvas.

The 28-year-old continued his rise in the heavyweight division with the emphatic victory, lifting his UFC record to 4-0. Hokit made his debut last November and has emerged as one of the hottest fighters in the sport thanks to his WWE-esque persona and entertaining fight style.

Hokit was coming off a decision win over Curtis Blaydes in a Fight of the Year candidate at UFC 327 in April.

Lewis, 41, is now riding a two-fight skid, with both losses coming via second-round TKO.

Ruffy obliterates Chandler

Mauricio Ruffy scored the biggest win of his career in a one-sided beatdown of Michael Chandler.

Ruffy pummeled the former lightweight title challenger with punches and kicks en route to a TKO finish at the 4:29 mark of the first round.

Ruffy dropped Chandler with a spinning wheel kick and then landed a few more punches, including a devastating uppercut, before referee Mike Beltran called off the fight.

The 29-year-old Brazilian is now riding a two-fight winning streak and improved to 5-1 in the Octagon. He's ranked No. 9 in the 155-pound division.

Chandler, 40, has now been finished in back-to-back fights. He's lost four in a row and is 1-6 in his last seven outings. Chandler hasn't won a fight since knocking out Tony Ferguson in 2022.

Tyson Fury teases announcement involving Dana White

Former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury showed up at the White House and told Jon Anik he hopes to book a fight with Anthony Joshua later in 2026.

Fury also teased that an announcement involving UFC CEO Dana White is imminent.

Nickal dispatches of Daukaus quickly

Rising middleweight contender Bo Nickal continued his climb in the division with a first-round TKO of Kyle Daukaus.

The finish came at the 4:34 mark of the round.

Nickal floored Daukaus with an overhand left and a right hook, and then forced referee Jason Herzog to step in by landing shots on the ground.

The 30-year-old improved to 6-1 in the UFC and 9-1 as a professional MMA fighter.

Thousands of fans took in the action on The Ellipse, where the UFC set up big screens.

Lopes rallies to KO Garcia in opener

The UFC White House card is off to a roaring start.

Former featherweight title contender Diego Lopes pulled off a wild comeback in the first fight of the night, knocking out Steve Garcia at the 2:42 mark of the second round.

Lopes convincingly lost the first round but turned the tide with ferocious punches in the second. He hurt Garcia with a left hook, landed a right hand, and then floored his opponent with another left. Lopes jumped on Garcia and finished him off with ground-and-pound.

With the victory, Lopes rebounded from a loss to 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325 in January.

Bruce Buffer is ready for 1st fight of the night!

A White House walkout 👀

👊 Bet on UFC White House card with theScore Bet here

Flyover caps national anthem

Trump, White walk to Octagon

With UFC Freedom 250 set to get underway momentarily after the brief rain delay, President Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White made their entrance and headed cageside.

UFC announces rain delay

UFC Freedom 250 was in a brief rain delay when the broadcast went live at 8 p.m. ET.

With a risk of "high winds and lightning" in the Washington area, potential inclement weather has threatened the event all week. However, UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald said on the broadcast that the fights would be starting "very soon."

Prefight notes

Eleven months after President Donald Trump said he wanted to hold a UFC event at the White House, it's finally here. The MMA promotion is celebrating the United States' impending 250th anniversary with a blockbuster card on the South Lawn.

UFC Freedom 250 features two title fights at the top of the card, including Topuria's lightweight unification bout against Gaethje. The undefeated Georgian-Spaniard knocked out Charles Oliveira to win the vacant 155-pound title at UFC 317 last June, but he has been out of action since then due to personal issues. Topuria, a former featherweight champion, holds a 17-0 professional record with 15 finishes.

In Topuria's absence, Gaethje claimed the interim title with a unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January. Gaethje, nicknamed "The Highlight" because of his all-action style, is riding a two-fight winning streak and is 4-1 in his last five appearances. Though the 37-year-old is at the tail-end of his career, he's looking to add an undisputed UFC championship to his resume before calling it quits.

In the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250, former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is moving up to heavyweight for the first time in his career to face Ciryl Gane for the interim title. With a victory, Pereira will become the first fighter in promotion history to win titles in three different weight classes.

Weather forecast is ... not great ⛈️😬

There are severe thunderstorm warnings in the Washington area, which poses a big threat to the event. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 72% chance of rain at 8 p.m. ET and a 62% chance at 9 p.m.

The Weather Channel said earlier today that UFC Freedom 250 "is facing a chaotic weather setup," with a chance of "heavy downpours and wind gusts up to 34 mph."

UFC CEO Dana White has remained adamant that the event will occur as planned. However, the promotion announced that live event coverage will begin at 8 p.m., which suggests the first fight will start a little later than anticipated.

Previewing UFC Freedom 250

• UFC White House storylines: Topuria's days numbered at 155? Pereira the GOAT?
• Ranking all 7 fights on the UFC White House card
• UFC White House predictions: Will Topuria knock out Gaethje?
• UFC is banking on the White House card to be a hit. It needs the boost

Diving into Topuria-Gaethje

Tale of the tape

Betting odds

Here's a look at the full UFC Freedom 250 fight card:

Main card (Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET)

• Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
• Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
• Sean O'Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
• Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
• Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
• Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
• Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia

US: Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER; Hope is here. Call (800)-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support (MA); Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

ON: Please play responsibly. 19+. ON only. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call ConnexOntario 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600. Text us at 247247 or chat with us at www.connexontario.ca.