UFC White House: The low-profile fights to watch this weekend at UFC Freedom 250

The UFC heads to the White House with a seven-fight card full of quality. Naturally, the main focus is on two title fights: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira vs. Cyril Gane.

The heat between Topuria and Gaethje has escalated all week in DC with Topuria taking exception to Gaethje’s father calling him “another short guy” and the interim champion seemingly referring to his ex-wife after a nasty divorce. Gaethje, for his part, does not believe that he ever spoke ill of his former Topuria and believes that the champion just wants more encouragement.

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Sunday night’s main event is equally compelling to fight fans. Pereira, in just 12 fights over five years, has become the most popular action star of a generation. After winning both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, the Brazilian looks set to make history by taking the heavyweight title, which would make him the first fighter to do so in three divisions. He is facing Gane, who has failed many times in these areas.

Gane holds a 10-2, 1 NC record in the UFC since joining the promotion in 2019. He won the interim title once before, defeating Derrick Lewis by TKO in 2021. But he failed to consolidate the title in a decision loss to Francis Ngannou and was quickly dispatched by Jon Jones in 2023 to claim the vacant title. Gane then returned to the title picture in 2025 and looked strong against Tom Aspinall before pulling off a brutal double-eye finish that ended the fight with the championship.

The rest of the card features an interesting matchup of up-and-coming and veteran competitors looking to make a statement on the biggest stage imaginable. This is especially true in another heavyweight match that will take place on Sunday when the king of the knockouts Derrick Lewis will face the challenger Josh Hokit. Lewis was a late addition to the card after he was absent from early drafts. He gets one of the fastest rising names in the sport in Hokit who is coming off the fight of the year against Curtis Blaydes in April.

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Also, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley returns to face up-and-coming contender Aiemann Zahabi. Lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy hopes to continue his fight against veteran Michael Chandler. Rising middleweight prospect Bo Nickal looks to take the next step in his rise against veteran Kyle Daukaus. And the featherweight sluggers meet for the first time when Diego Lopes fights Steve Garcia.

Ahead of the biggest spectacle in UFC history, take a look at three non-title fights you can’t miss.

Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis

Hokit understands a simple truth in MMA: (mostly) all publicity is good publicity when you win. In seven weeks, he has transformed himself from an unranked weirdo to a top-five heavyweight by the time he won the title. Make no mistake, that’s where we’re looking if he beats Lewis. Hokit wisely raised issues with Alex Pereira and, by proxy, Ilia Topuria at the UFC Freedom 250 press conference. It set up a Pereira vs. Hokit heavyweight in the public mind and attached his name to the top stars of today. The NFL alum is a small, athletic heavyweight with great strength. His collegiate wrestling background complements his game, and his desire to take down opponents lends itself to an unrefined but powerful style. Standing in his way is one of the UFC’s fan favorites and the all-time knockout leader. Lewis’ best days are behind him, but his power is still strong. A KO is very possible either way, and, given the stage, a title shot could be on the horizon.

Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler

Chandler’s UFC run is one of fortune and misfortune. The three-time Bellator champion was listed as a copy of the UFC lightweight title before stepping into the Octagon. In his second fight, he nearly won the lightweight title. The cherry on top was to fight Conor McGregor at International Fight Week in 2023. Instead, Chandler burned his remaining medal waiting for a fight that never happened. Now 40 years old, and dressed in ridiculous damage, he takes on a talented KO artist entering his prime. Luffy is dangerous, and has only come to light since leaving The Fighting Nerds to train with UFC featherweight Alexander Volkanovski. Two years into his UFC run, Ruffy is a top-10 fighter in the sport’s toughest division with reel finishes against Rafael Fiziev and King Green. Chandler is an explosive athlete, but there’s a reason he and his opponent Justin Gaethje are so small on the card.

Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia

Meet your top Fight of the Night candidate. Lopes’ second title beating Volkanovski left him with a burden. The loss confirmed criticism that a repeat was not earned, and took some attention away from what earned Lopes his first title. The man has a sense of iron. A two-way offensive threat, Lopes can KO or submit people with equal effectiveness. Garcia may be the most underrated competitor in the sport. “Mean Machine” embodies the moniker, a consistently badass KO artist. Lopes and Garcia have given up about 83% of their combined wins — safety is not a concern. This is the first fight of the night for a reason. It will set an exciting tone and high bar for every battle to match.

Who wins UFC White House: Topuria vs. Gaethje, and how does the war actually end? Visit SportsLine now for detailed picks and analysis from an unparalleled expert with over $1,500 in cash on his UFC main card picks, and find out.