We are just days away from the long-awaited night where the UFC will land in the nation’s capital in one of the most talked-about events in the promotion’s history. UFC Freedom 250 goes down on Sunday, June 14th, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.! Get the latest betting odds and best bets from MMANews!
In the main event of UFC Freedom 250, an undisputed UFC lightweight champion will be crowned when Ilia Topuria puts the title on the line against interim champion Justin Gaethje.
The 17-0 Topuria makes his first title defense in this bout, one year after knocking out Charles Oliveira to become lightweight champion at UFC 317. Topuria, also a former featherweight champion, has been sidelined for the last year due to a major custody battle.
Justin Gaethje earned this matchup when he defeated Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January to become interim lightweight champion. This is Gaethje’s second run as lightweight champion. Gaethje, also a former BMF champion, will get his third (and potentially last) chance at becoming undisputed UFC lightweight champion on this night.
The co-main event will see an interim UFC heavyweight champion be crowned when Alex Pereira faces former interim champion Ciryl Gane. Pereira aims for history here — if the former middleweight and light heavyweight champion wins this fight, he will become the first fighter in UFC history to win championships in three different weight classes in his tenure.
Pereira regained the UFC light heavyweight championship in his most recent fight, knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in their UFC 320 rematch. Pereira, however, vacated the title to move up to heavyweight.
Gane fought Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 321, with that bout ending in a no contest. Gane is a former interim champion, defeating Derrick Lewis for the interim gold at UFC 263. Gane, however, is 0-2 (1 NC) in undisputed title fights, losing to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, respectively, at UFC 270 and UFC 285.
The other UFC 328 main card bouts include Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi, Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis, Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler, Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus, and Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia.
UFC Freedom 250 Betting Odds
Here are the latest betting odds for UFC Freedom 250, as of 6pm ET on June 10, courtesy of DraftKings:
UFC Freedom 250 (Paramount+, 8 PM ET)
- Featherweight: Diego Lopes (-155) vs. Steve Garcia (+130)
- Middleweight: Bo Nickal (-345) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+275)
- Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy (-675) vs. Michael Chandler (+400)
- Heavyweight: Josh Hokit (-410) vs. Derrick Lewis (+320)
- Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley (-440) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+340)
- Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira (-108) vs. Ciryl Gane (-112)
- UFC Lightweight Championship: Ilia Topuria (-500) vs. Justin Gaethje (+300)
UFC Freedom 250 Predictions & Best Bets
Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje: The pressure is going to be on Justin Gaethje in this fight. He may be one of the most exciting fighters the UFC has ever had, but he’s on his third, and probably final, chance to get a UFC undisputed title. And while he’s the American fighting in the main event of what might be considered the most American UFC card ever, Ilia Topuria is going to be a struggle for him to figure out.
While Topuria will have the ground game advantage in this fight, it’s uncertain how long (if at all) this fight is on the ground for. With Gaethje’s warlike approach and Topuria’s powerful striking, we can hopefully expect some solid violence in this bout. As tough as both these guys are, this one probably doesn’t last the full 25 minutes. And if Topuria can stay technical and not be lured into being wild like Gaethje will want, the better chance he walks out still the champion. (Prediction: Topuria) (Best Bet: Topuria to win in Round 1 OR 2 [-145])
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane: Let’s be pretty blunt about something — the UFC should be (secretly) rooting for Pereira to win this fight. If that happens, they get a unique accomplishment fulfilled by a fighter, and it provides a moment for the White House card. Not only that, but it can start fixing a heavyweight championship scene that has been inherently broken since Francis Ngannou left as champion in January 2023. A Gane victory means a rematch between him and Aspinall, and who knows how long that’ll take, given how Aspinall’s eye issues made him miss this card (let alone the issues between Dana White and Aspinall’s agent, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn).
Just like the main event (and it can be said with even more confidence here), this one will be a kickboxing battle. Considering both men’s kickboxing experience, it’s going to come down to who can land that one powerful blow on the button. And while Gane has the technical game, Pereira has power that might be too much for him to handle. If Pereira’s power didn’t decrease going from middleweight to light heavyweight, he should be fine when entering the “glamour division.” Get ready for history to be made. (Prediction: Pereira) (Best Bet: Pereira via KO/TKO/DQ [+150])
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi: Sean O’Malley has looked for 2026 to be a rebound year after losing the bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili. After defeating Song Yadong earlier this year, a win on the White House lawn could likely nab him another chance at becoming champion if Petr Yan defeats Merab Dvalishvili in their inevitable trilogy bout. But don’t count out the red-hot, rising Aiemann Zahabi — he’s won seven straight since 2021, which includes wins over Jose Aldo and Marlon “Chito” Vera last year.
Zahabi is a guy who continues to come forward, and he will need to use counterstriking and clinch work with dirty boxing to help him out in this one. O’Malley has found success when working from distance and still being able to land well on his opponent. With O’Malley having the size advantage in this one, he may not finish Zahabi, but he may show “The Suga Show” is too much for the TriStar Gym product to handle. (Prediction: O’Malley) (Best Bet: O’Malley to win via decision [+100])
Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis: For as brief as his stay in the UFC has been so far, Josh Hokit is a controversial figure in the MMA space. That said, it’s hard to argue he didn’t earn this opportunity after the war he and Curtis Blaydes put on a couple of months ago at UFC 327. The 9-0 Hokit now gets to face Derrick Lewis. While Lewis lost to Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324, he still has three wins in his last five and is aiming to extend his UFC knockout victories record.
It’s simple — Hokit has to use his footwork and keep Lewis tied up and/or grounded. Conquer the position game and force Lewis to play defense, and Hokit could trouble Lewis into a finish. Tire out and give Lewis an opening, however, and Hokit will be counting stars. If this one goes 15 minutes, we may not be screaming and hollering in joy as we did after Hokit vs. Blaydes. (Prediction: Hokit) (Best Bet: Hokit to win via KO/TKO/DQ [-115])
Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler: Michael Chandler thought he was going to get Conor McGregor a couple of years ago. While that fight never happened, competing on a unique card like this is certainly quite the consolation prize — unfortunately for him, he now gets to face Mauricio Ruffy. Chandler may have five post-fight bonuses in his UFC run, but he’s only 2-5 since arriving at the promotion in 2021. Ruffy, meanwhile, has racked up three post-fight bonuses and a 3-1 record since his own UFC debut in 2024.
Those who follow Justin Gaethje will know this piece of advice — as much as Michael Chandler likes to entertain, he needs to use the All-American wrestling background that got him success in his Bellator days. If he tries to stand and trade with a dangerous young athlete like Ruffy, it’s going to end badly for him. Unfortunately for the Chandler coalition, Ruffy likely uses this matchup to prove why the Fighting Nerds continue to be a standout camp in the MMA space today — and why Ruffy should be in the mix for a lightweight title shot. (Prediction: Ruffy) (Best Bet: Ruffy to win AND under 1.5 rounds [-140])
Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus: Bo Nickal is a wrestling standout, one of the greatest products to ever come out of Penn State. This is what motivated the UFC to sign him, and he’s slowly been building himself as a fighter as the UFC looks to push him as quickly as possible. After suffering a loss to Reinier de Ridder, Nickal rebounded in his last outing, stopping Rodolfo Vieira with a highlight head kick. Kyle Daukaus, meanwhile, has his own comeback underway. Since the end of his first UFC tenure at the end of 2022, he’s won six straight, including sub-minute finishes of Michel Pereira and Gerald Meerschaert to make him 2-0 in his UFC return.
Nickal has shown glimpses of how he is developing his striking, and that can play a big hand in this fight since both he and Daukaus are dangerous on the ground. Nickal can either use his striking to lead into takedown attempts, or he can use takedown threats to set up his strikes. Daukaus has the experience, but Nickal’s wrestling pedigree might be just too much for his win streak to continue. (Prediction: Nickal) (Best Bet: Nickal via decision [+225])
Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia: Without a doubt, Diego Lopes has proven to be one of the more popular featherweights on the current UFC roster. His fighting style and personality have made him a fan favorite, and only two men — champion Alexander Volkanovski and top contender Movsar Evloev — have been able to defeat him in the Octagon. Garcia, however, has strung together a solid seven-fight win streak, which includes six finishes — four coming in the first round.
Garcia needs to continue to use the striking and overwhelming pressure that has led him to the quick finishes in his current streak. Lopes is a dynamic fighter and highlight finisher, but pushing his cardio might be what Garcia needs here. If Lopes can beat Garcia to the literal and figurative punch first, however, Garcia might be the one who gets finished. Bonus points for the former title challenger if he can get this fight to the mat, where he should have a clear advantage. (Prediction: Lopes) (Best Bet: Lopes ML [-155])
