WASHINGTON — The Ultimate Fighting Championship didn’t need to include seats for judges in their designs for the temporary venue on the South Lawn of the White House that hosted Sunday night’s UFC Freedom 250 event.
All seven fights ended in knockout and none even reached the third round until the main event in the outdoor structure that sat 4,300 spectators just steps from President Donald Trump’s residence.
That included Ciryl Gane knocking out Alex Pereira in the co-main event to capture the interim heavyweight title and Justin Gaethje taking the lightweight title from Ilia Topuria with a fourth-round stoppage in the other main event.
Gaethje survived some early damage before turning things around and battering Topuria for several rounds. The doctor nearly stopped the fight after the third round due to impaired vision, but Topuria was given one more chance to find a way to keep his belt.
After he took more damage in the fourth round, it was mercifully waved off by the referee after Topuria appeared to tell his corner he was done.
“I’m from America,” Gaethje said in the headlining bout of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration. “Two-hundred fifty years ago, we were way bigger than 6-to-1 underdogs.”
It was one of the most entertaining fights of the year and will rank among the biggest main event upsets in recent memory.
“I was made for these moments,” Gaethje said. “This sport was made for me. I’ve shown you why I’m the most consistent, most exciting guy who’s ever been in this cage. I had to go to my primal place and dig deep because that guy had me in trouble. He rocked my chin, smoked my liver.
“I prayed so much for this opportunity to do something legendary and I know that was absolutely legendary because I still can’t even believe it.”
It was one of several fights that produced highlights on a night that included the organization’s first rain delay. The incredibly rare outdoor event for the organization started about 30 minutes late because of the threat of storms in the area, but the weather was great once the action got underway.
Gane landed a series of devastating shots on Pereira to prompt the referee to step in and stop the fight with the former two-division champion still on his feet against the cage.
The victory should set up a unification bout against heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, but Aspinall has been dealing with a serious eye injury that has required several surgeries.
There is no timetable on his return.
“We will see,” Gane said of what’s next for him.
Former bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley may also have another title bout in his future after knocking out Aiemann Zahabi in the second round.
O’Malley was so sure he had finished Zahabi with the shot that he turned and saluted the crowd as Zahabi fell to the ground.
“That was sexy,” O’Malley said as he watched the replay in the cage in front of a crowd filled mostly with politicians, dignitaries and service members.
O’Malley believes he has done enough to challenge bantamweight champ Petr Yan.
As for Zahabi, O’Malley said it was just a matter of time before he got the finish.
“He was running around throwing those little leg kicks,” O’Malley said. “They didn’t do a whole lot. We had the best game plan.”
There wasn’t much strategy for heavyweight Josh Hokit, who engaged in a wild slugfest with Derrick Lewis for much of his fight before finding an opening to end the bout and remain undefeated.
Hokit, who often tries to push buttons, used the occasion of a victory on the White House lawn to make some wild political comments.
He also tried to use his jiu-jitsu late in the first round, but couldn’t quite finish an armbar attempt.
It was a bit of a new wrinkle to his game for a rising contender who could give the division a little more to think about.
Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy landed a spinning wheel kick on Michael Chandler before finishing him with punches.
Ruffy solidified his status as a contender by dispatching Chandler, whose age clearly appears to be catching up with him at 40.
Middleweight Bo Nickal, who has met Trump several times and developed a friendship with the president, knocked out Kyle Daukaus with punches and elbows in the first round.
He jumped to the top of the cage and exited to shake hands with Trump after the victory, praising both him and UFC president and CEO Dana White for having the courage to put on the event despite widespread opposition to a card with such political overtones.
Diego Lopes opened the card with a second-round knockout of Steve Garcia in a featherweight bout.
They walked out for the fight slightly more than a half-hour late because of the weather delay.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
