Stars Of UFC Freedom 250 Visit The White House
In Washington, D.C., Donald Trump welcomed the co-main and main event athletes of UFC Freedom 250 to join him in the Oval Office for a promotional appearance.
On June 14th, the White House’s South Lawn will turn into a small venue to host the monumental event, which will feature Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane fighting for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event, and Justin Gaethje challenging Ilia Topuria for the lightweight belt in the headliner. The event will feature a total of seven bouts, with Derrick Lewis vs. Josh Hokit being the most recent addition to what was originally announced as a six-fight card.
To start off the affair, the President announced the fighters before engaging in some casual interactions and posing for photos.
Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane just met President Donald Trump at the Oval Office 🇺🇸
“Alex Pereira, we’ve seen him knock out a lot of people. That’s what he does.”
“Ilia Topuria, who they say does not get tougher. Very special.”
(via @WhiteHouse) pic.twitter.com/biK7OkWWB8
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 6, 2026
“Alex Pereira, we’ve seen him knock out a lot of people. That’s what he does.”
“Ilia Topuria, who they say does not get tougher. Very special.”
In one of the more interesting exchanges at the event, President Trump asked Ilia Topuria how he felt about his chances against Justin Gaethje, to which the lightweight champion replied with full confidence in defending his belt.
 “I want to give the hardest test, that’s right. What are your chances of winning?” – Trump
“I have complete faith. 100%. And I hope [Gaethje] has the same faith.” – Topuria
Following the meeting with the president, Pereira and Gane even took the time to have their first face-off on the South Lawn, which was revealed later in the day on social media.
🚨 Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane just faced off for the first time on the White House lawn 👀
(via @gloverteixeira) pic.twitter.com/umMXCzpc3U
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 6, 2026