liveUpdated 9m agoFollow live coverage from the controversial event being staged on the South Lawn of the White House.The Athletic Live TeamJune 14, 2026 at 10:31 AM EDTThe South Lawn of the White House hosts the UFC today GettyUFC Freedom 250 — latestThe UFC will stage its ‘Freedom 250’ card tonight on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., becoming the first professional sporting event to be held at the presidential residence.President Trump will watch the series of cage fights after a judge rejected a federal lawsuit alleging the event would break the law.The card will be headlined by two title fights. Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will compete for the interim UFC heavyweight championship in the co-main event before Ilia Topuria defends his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.Start time: 8pm ETWatch: Paramount+Get involved by joining the discussion or emailing live@theathletic.com.Up for grabs today Getty ImagesThere are two UFC titles up for grabs today — the interim heavyweight title and the undisputed lightweight title — and the two winners will receive a special championship belt.The belt features a patriotic design inspired by the American flag, with silver and gold finishes alongside a red, white and blue color scheme.Where can I watch? Getty ImagesIn the United States, UFC Freedom 250 will air on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.In Canada, the action is available to watch on PPV, although the first two fights of the evening will be simulcast on Sportsnet and TVA.In the United Kingdom, the event will be shown on TNT Sports.What is the complete fight card? Getty ImagesIlia Topuria (c) (17-0) vs. Justin Gaethje (ic) (27-5), undisputed lightweight titleAlex Pereira (13-3) vs. Ciryl Gane (13-2, 1 NC), interim heavyweight titleSean O’Malley (19-3, 1 NC) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (14-2), bantamweightJosh Hokit (9-0) vs. Derrick Lewis (29-13, 1 NC), heavyweightMauricio Ruffy (13-2) vs. Michael Chandler (23-10), lightweightBo Nickal (8-1) vs. Kyle Daukaus (17-4, 1 NC), middleweightDiego Lopes (27-8) vs. Steve Garcia (19-5), featherweightWhat time does UFC Freedom 250 start today? Getty ImagesUnusually for a UFC card, there are no preliminary fights today. The event will begin with the main card, which consists of seven fights.The card begins with the featherweight contest between Diego Lopes (27-8) and Steve Garcia (19-5), which is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET.Subscribe today The Athletic Now would be a good time to mention that you can take advantage of an exclusive offer to subscribe to The Athletic by clicking this link.We’ll have plenty of combat sports coverage throughout the summer, including the return of Conor McGregor at UFC 329 in July and Anthony Joshua’s comeback against Kristian Prenga later that month.There is also plenty going on elsewhere, and we have lots to read on the ongoing FIFA World Cup, NBA Finals and Men’s College World Series.So make sure you subscribe today.Get involved today Getty ImagesWe’d love to hear from you ahead of the action.Are you excited to watch the historic event? Repulsed by the whole thing? Do you think it should have been banned?And then there are all the sporting angles, too. Which fight are you most intrigued by? Are you a little disappointed with the final card after all the fanfare? And who is going to win the main event: Ilia Topuria or Justin Gaethje?You can email us at live@theathletic.com.Welcome to our live coverage Getty Images Hello and welcome to our live coverage of one of the most controversial sporting events of the year: UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.Yes, you read that correctly: today’s mixed martial arts event will take place at the White House, becoming the first professional sporting event staged at the presidential residence.The event — which the UFC has modestly dubbed “the most historic sporting event of all time” — is officially called “Freedom 250,” but is being held almost three weeks before Independence Day, on President Trump’s 80th birthday.A lawsuit filed last week attempted to halt the event but was ultimately unsuccessful. Plenty more on all of that later.UFC Freedom 250 will be headlined by two title fights. Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will fight for the interim UFC heavyweight championship in the co-main event, before Ilia Topuria defends his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.