In a press release, the event was described as “a corrupt scheme to hand the White House South Lawn and Lincoln Memorial to a private, for-profit sports promoter in violation of federal law.”

Lead attorney in the case Samuel T. Ward-Packard of the Public Integrity Project said “The event, scheduled for June 14, was conceived by President Trump and organized by UFC CEO Dana White, a close personal ally of Trump, and will benefit both men financially."

“Trump purchased up to $50,000 in UFC parent company TKO stock earlier this spring, while White’s company is selling VIP packages for $1.5 million each, and benefiting from what one TKO executive called “the greatest earned-marketing tool of all time.” Additionally, a weigh-in for fighters is scheduled for the night before, and is set to occur at the Lincoln Memorial.”

According to the filing, it's prohibited to host sporting events on federal parklands. Additionally, there was no congressional authorization for the building of "The Claw" as required for building on federal parklands. The lawsuit also cites potential costs to taxpayers.

“The President arranged to hand two of America’s most cherished monuments to a private corporation so he and his allies could profit from them. That is corruption,” plaintiff Susan Douglas stated. “These monuments belong to all of us Americans, not to Dana White, not to advertisers like Crypto.com, and not to Donald Trump. We’re asking the court to enforce the law because the administration refuses to.”

The plaintiffs are in the process of filing for a temporary restraining order which would halt the event while the courts reviewed the case.

It was a one-sided fight with Bonfim winning every round on the judges' scorecards. On Sunday, Muhammad released a statement addressing the loss.

"Alhamdillah for everything to blessed to be stressed.. You don’t find out who you are when everything goes your way. You find out when it doesn’t. Grateful for the journey, grateful for the lessons," Muhammad wrote on Instagram.

"I’ll be back...Thankyou to all my supporters my team and family .. congrats my brother on his big win his hard work paying off on his way to the title."

View this post on Instagram

Muhammad captured the 170-pound title by dethroning Leon Edwards in July 2024. He was beaten by Jack Della Maddalena in his first title defense and then lost to Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision. Now on a three-fight losing streak, the 37 year-old has an uphill climb back to the top of the division.

UFC Freedom 250 Countdown: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje

UFC Freedom 250 Countdown: Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane

UFC Freedom 250 Countdown - Full Episode

Bonfim entered the bout ranked No. 11 in the division and riding a four-fight winning streak. His only career loss came in November 2023. "Marretinha" was looking to pick up the biggest win over his career and move into contender status.

The two did not touch gloves. Bonfim took the center of the cage and pressured Muhammad. The former champ circled on the outside. Muhammad connected with a counter right hand. He stepped in the pocket with a combination. Bonfim continued to pressure Muhammad. He landed to the body with a kick. Bonfim began landing his jab midway through the round. He also invested in leg kicks. Muhammad had difficulty closing the distance. Bonfim was able to move out to the way of most of Muhammad's strikes. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Bonfim.

Bonfim went back to pressuring Muhammad in the second, He continued to draw on leg kicks. Muhammad fired back but was unable to connect with anything substantial. Muhammad found a home for a counter left. Muhammad began letting his hands go in the second half of the frame. He stepped in the pocket with a right hand. Muhammad landed a left hand but ate another calf kick. The leg kicks were adding up. Muhammad snuck in a head kick. Bonfim connected with a combination late in the round. MMAWeekly scored the frame 10-9 for Bonfim.

Muhammad immediately looked for a takedown to start the third. Bonfim shook off the attempt. Bonfim connected with a clean right hand. He continued to press forward. Muhammad unleashed big shots but missed with them. After unsuccessfully looking for a takedown, Muhammad delivered a kick to the body. Bonfim landed a combination that knocked Muhammad's mouthpiece out. Bonfim continued to land leg kicks causing Muhammad to switch stances. Muhammad stepped in the pocket and was met with a right hand that staggered him. Bonfim remained controlled. Another right hand landed for Bonfim. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Bonfim.

Bonfim kept the pressure on in the fourth. The pace slowed a. bit. Muhammad landed to the body with a kick. Bonfim answered with a jab. Muhammad's best weapon was his left kick to the body. Muhammad began moving forward late in the round. Bonfim found a home for a right. Muhammad missed with some big shots. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Bonfim.

Bonfim's jab has dictated the pace. He landed a right hand. Muhammad continued to come up short with his punches. Each time Muhammad stepped in the pocket, Bonfim met him with punches and moved away. Muhammad tried to close the distance with punches but wasn't able to land. He connected with a right hand. Muhammad continued to try and make something happen but couldn't. MMAWeekly scored the round for Muhammad.

The judges score the right for Bonfim via unanimous decision. All three scorecards read 50-45.

UFC Vegas 118 Post-Fight Press Conference

The first fight is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET. Refresh the page for the latest outcomes.

UFC Vegas 118 Official Results 

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

• 
  Gabriel Bonfim def. Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
• Brendan Allen def. Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Tom Nolan def. Fares Ziam via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Bryce Mitchell def. Santiago via Submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:52. Round 3
• Iwo Baraniewski def. Junior Tafa TKO (leg kick and punches) at 1:25, Round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

• Alessandro Costa def. Matt Schnell TKO (punches) at 2:28, Round 1
• Marcus McGhee def. John Yannis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Edgar Chairez def. Bruno Silva via Submission (neck crank) at 4:12, Round 1
• Chelsea Chandler def. Priscila Cachoeira via Submission (armbar) at 3:42, Round 1
• Joanderson Brito def. Jordan Leavitt via Submission (front choke) at 4:19, Round 1
• Jeisla Chaves def. Yuneisy Duben via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)
• Ketlen Souza def. Ariane Carnelossi via KO (punches and head kick) at 1:34, Round 1

It's a match-up between two of the sport's most exciting fighters. For former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, it's a match-up between two of his favorite fighters.

"I think Ilia Topuria is the biggest star in the sport right now and rightfully so. What he's been able to do is incredible. I'm a massive fan of his fight style because he doesn't just win, he does it spectacularly in ways that those people have never been won before, which is incredible," Du Plessis told Fight Forecast.

"But Justin Gaethje, in my Top 5, Top 3 even, favorite fighters to watch fight. I mean, that guy's never been in a boring fight in his whole life. And he doesn't have the capability of being in one because that's how he fights. He goes and goes out to kill," said Du Plessis.

"This man is a fighter by heart. He's been doing it since he was five years-old, being involved in combat sports. He knows what it's about. He has faced adversity. He has been in the wars. Every fight he's been in is probably a war, but you know, he just has that thing about him that he doesn't care. He's not scared. He's not scared of Ilia Topuria. He's not naive about it. Like, listen, you can't go fight Illia Topuria the way you fight a lot of these other fights where he just goes crazy. Ilia is too calculated and he hits too hard."

For Gaethje to have success against the champion, Du Plessis believes he has to utilize one of his best weapons, leg kicks. He also thinks Gaethje needs to avoid standing in the pocket and trading shots.

"Gaethje is going to have to set that, I believe his key to victory would be those leg kicks. He has devastating leg kicks. He has that head kick. We saw that against Dustin Poirier. Ilia has been dropped with head kicks a couple of times in his career before. So, using his kicks, setting up, but not standing and banging in that pocket. That is not going to be his answer. Setting up that knockout shot, that is going to be it. And just overwhelming him with that pressure that he does," said Du Plessis.

While the former middleweight champion sees ways for Gaethje to have success, he doesn't see Topuria losing. .

"I'm such a big Gaethje fan, but Ilia is going to win this fight," he said.

On Friday, the fighters competing on the fight card officially weighed in and faced off with their opponents for a final time ahead of Saturday's fights.

UFC Vegas 118 Face-Offs

On Friday, the fighters competing on the fight card officially weighed in. Muhammad and Bonfim both came in at 170.5 pounds.

Making it look easy 😮‍💨@bullyb170 weighs in at 170.5lbs ahead of #UFCVegas118

[ JUNE 6 | 8pmET | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ME9K8LlrZy

— UFC (@ufc) June 5, 2026

First to the scale! @Gabrielbonfi weighs in at 170.5lbs 💪

[ #UFCVegas118 | JUNE 6 | 8pmET | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/EKJ7ydAP7A

— UFC (@ufc) June 5, 2026

UFC Vegas 118 Official Weigh-In Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Belal Muhammad (170.5) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (170.5)
• Brendan Allen (185.5) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (186)
• Tom Nolan (155) vs. Fares Ziam (156)
• Santiago Luna (136) vs. Bryce Mitchell (135.5)
• Iwo Baraniewski (206) vs. Junior Tafa (206.5)*

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

• Alessandro Costa (129.5) vs. Matt Schnell (129.5)
• Marcus McGhee (136) vs. John Yannis (126)
• Edgar Chairez (126) vs. Bruno Silva (126)
• Priscila Cachoeira (135.5) vs. Chelsea Chandler (135)
• Joanderson Brito (145.5) vs. Jordan Leavitt (145.5)
• Jeisla Chaves (124) vs. Yuneisy Duben (125)
• Ariane Carnelossi (116) vs. Ketlen Souza (116)

* Junior Tafa was over the light heavyweight limit by 0.5 pounds

Zahabi showed up on O'Malley's radar following his UFC 315 win over Brazilian legend and former two-time featherweight titleholder Jose Aldo.

"I think the first time I saw him was when he fought Aldo was the first time I had really heard about him and he was tough, durable, skilled, comes from a good camp. Got another win against 'Chito,' called me out and I was like, I'm down for that fight. I asked for that fight last fight. They gave me Song. Here we are," O'Malley told UFC on Paramount +.

"He's very durable. He's very tough, but that's what's going to get him hurt is how tough he is, how durable he is, and I'm going to land big shots over and over."

O'Malley's end game is to get back to a title fight, but knows that will at least require an impressive performance at the White House.

"I have to finish Zahabi, you know. I can't go out there and get a boring win. Got to go out there and finish him. And even then, it's, you know, we'll see," O'Malley said. "He's very tough, very durable. I'm going to have to land a knockout shot multiple times and, you know, I'm capable of doing that against his style and landing good shots a lot."

During the UFC Vegas 118 Media Day, bantamweight Bryce Mitchell was asked about Strickland being prohibited from attending the historic event. "Thug Nasty" said he wasn't surprised by the development.

"I'm not surprised at all. Freedom of speech is what really makes this country great. When you can't criticize a foreign nation, a foreign nation, come on, man. We ought to be able to criticize our own nation, let a long a foreign nation. In fact, that's the only nation you're not allowed to criticize, you know," said Mitchell.

"Something's going to change because evil empires don't last forever. There's always a rebellion. You ever seen Star Wars? That's what's going to happen, bro. Darth Vader's going to get took down."

Mitchell isn't a fan of the UFC event taking place at the White House, or any sporting event. His objections weren't with the fight promotion, they were with the government.

"First off, I ain't jealous of any of those fighters. I am so happy for those fighters. I don't think you could have got a better main event. I'm happy for every single last fighter on that card," Mitchell said. "For the UFC, I think it's great. It's beyond great. It's literally the perfect scenario. But as far as the government.

"I'm an economics major. I love studying politics. On the political side of things, not the UFC's business. Of course they're going to say yes to it. But what I think personally is our government is desacrating its role in society by entertaining sports," said Mitchell.

"Our government is to protect and serve the people and really should be as minimal as possible. When you're doing all this stuff, hosting sporting events, it's really outside of what the goal of government was intended to be because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation. And like I said, I'm not criticizing the UFC. I love Dana [White]. I love Hunter [Campbell]. I love Sean [Shelby], Mick [Maynard]. I love all of them. And it's an amazing thing. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But the government should never be hosting sporting events because there's more room for corruption and we already have a corrupted government. And so, that's my thoughts on it is the government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us."

Mitchell (18-3) faces undefeated prospect Santiago Luna (8-0) on the UFC Vegas 118 main card on Saturday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

One person that will not be in audience is middleweight champion Sean Strickland. According to the outspoken fighter, he's been banned from attending.

On Wednesday, Strickland was asked by a fan on Instagram why he was banned from the historic event. “I made fun of Israel and Epstein,” Strickland replied. “The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by [Benjamin Netanyahu]. That’s not public opinion, it’s fact.”

"Tarzan" won back the 185-pound championship last month defeating Khamzat Chimaev via split decision in the UFC 328 main event. Once a strong supporter of President Trump, Strickland regularly criticizes the administration's policies of social media.

"For the upset families paying 5 to 15k extra in Israel/Trump war, you are ungrateful... The lack of appreciation you have for Trump and Israel is disgusting. For the 12 service men and women that died, I want to thank their sacrifice on behalf of Israel and Trump. #MIGA To think Iran was 1 month away from nuclear weapons 20 years ago :/ scary.....," Strickland wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday afternoon accompanying a video.

"I'm not surprised, but I got the call. I got the call. The UFC higher-ups called me, you know, the big names, and they said, 'Sean, I've got to apologize but you're not Israeli enough to go to UFC 250 Israel Edition," Strickland said in the video.

"I'm not really surprised. Moving forward I would like to just apologize to Israel. I'd like to say I'm sorry. I'd like to apologize to Trump, and I just want to prove that I'm Israeli enough for you guys. For instance, whenever the (Epstein) list disappeared and Trump goes out there and says that he can't really go into it because people by association would get prosecuted and like their names would be tarnished, I want to apologize because I don't want them to be prosecuted.

"When Trump goes and bombs the f*ck out of Iran that no American's agree with that cost Americans $5,000 to $15,000 to go fight Israel's war. I want to apologize. Sorry I've been a critic of that. Or when Trump goes out there and says, 'Hey Trump, your approval ratings are the lowest they've ever been across all demographics' and Trump says, 'Well, you know what? I have a 99% approval rating in Israel. I want to apologize," Strickland sarcastically said.

View this post on Instagram

UFC is known for pitting the best fighters against each other, making sure the greatest in the world never avoid the hardest opponents, unlike its sporting rival of the last few decades, boxing. The octagon is a place where the vast majority of the top martial artists reside, and if the stars align and they find their way to the top of their respective divisions, they'd have fought through a handful of elite, hungry challengers, making them worthy of their spot at the sport's summit.

Superfights have been a topic of conversation within the UFC ever since its birth in 1993. Fans have pushed for two fighters at the top of their game to lock horns inside the cage, but arguably none more so than an affair between Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

GSP and 'The Spider' are considered two of the pound-for-pound greats in MMA history. Despite competing in separate weight classes, a meeting between the two was being drawn up by the UFC.

"What happened is that, at the time and when I was in my prime and Anderson Silva was in the prime... I can only speak from my side," St-Pierre said. "I don't know what was happening on Anderson Silva's side."

"I was only asked once by Dana [White] and Lorenzo [Fertitta]... and I had the request because I was like, OK, you want me to get out of my way to go up a weight class, I need to be compensated because it's different. I'm full of challenges in my weight class, so if I'm fighting someone bigger, I need to change my training, try to get bigger, maybe."

Discussions were in motion, which would have undoubtedly been one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Before two-division champions were running riot in the sport, one active champion facing another was a rare commodity. And not only were they titleholders, but they were also both record-breaking, near-unbeatable, generation-transcending icons who dominated their weight classes.

However, while he considered his requests reasonable, Georges St-Pierre believes that he forced the company to go in a different direction.

"So my request was to fight Anderson Silva, I want to be put under contract," St-Pierre continued. "I want to be compensated better, one. I wanted this to be done in a catchweight, because Anderson fought in PRIDE at 170, and I knew he could go down —  I don't know if he could've gone down in that moment... it seems like he got heavier as time goes by, so I don't know. It's only an impression."

"So, it would be at a catchweight, so after that I could [go back to welterweight]... If I go up, I needed to go back down because I wouldn't spend my career there. And the third one was I wanted to have drug testing implemented. And they never got back to me."

St-Pierre's demands may have pushed the UFC away from its plans, with the company having a clear change of heart following talks.

"That was my intention: 'If you make that happen, I'm in, no problem,'" St-Pierre stated. "If you made it 180 [pounds] catchweight, I'm in. And if you compensate me, and it was reasonable... and also the drug testing. But they didn't follow up with that."

"I don't know if they asked Anderson about that, but they only asked me once."

Listen to Georges St-Pierre reveal the story behind his failed superfight with Anderson Silva during a linkup with fellow UFC great Demetrious Johnson in the video below.

The 39-year-old was on a respected three-fight win streak before his arrest, with a split decision win over Alex Morono, a TKO stoppage of Santiago Ponzinibbio, and, more recently, the most notable victory of his career over Kevin Holland. The California native burst into the top 15 and had his sights set on some of the killers at 170 lbs before a trip across the border from San Diego to Tijuana had life-changing implications.

Speaking to Joe Rogan about his arrest, Daniel Rodriguez shared previously unknown details about the events that led to his eight-month sentence.

"Yeah, man. [I got arrested] right after the Kevin Holland fight, actually," Rodriguez said. "I was celebrating. I was over in San Diego, had some drinks, and decided, 'You know what? Let's go to [Tijuana]... So, decided to go to TJ for the night, you know. Go celebrate my win. And I was obviously in celebration mode. And I had an ounce of weed in the car. I've been across the border a hundred times, bro. Never had no issues, never had no problems, never got stopped, pulled over. That's the last thing I would even think."

Marijuana legalisation is far from a unanimous verdict across North America. An ounce is considered the standard legal limit for personal possession in California, but any attempt to cross over into Mexico could be met with vehicle seizure, fines, immigration consequences, and, in Daniel Rodriguez's case, prison time.

"I thought [weed was legal in Mexico] too," Rodriguez continued. "Apparently not, man. The laws are like, crazy, crazy strict over there. I've been in situations before where I could just offer some money and get out the situation. Like 500 bucks at the most, you know, they'll just let me on my way."

"But I got pulled over at the border, and the border inspection found the weed in my backpack. I was thinking I was going to be in that situation where I could bribe my way out of it because it's Mexico. I've been there before and I've been in these situations. No, man. They took me to jail that night and I was thinking, 'Alright, I'm just going to be here for the weekend. I'll get out Monday and go to court.' And they're like, 'No, we'll see you in a month.' I'm like, 'A month? Why? It's just weed.' You know what I mean? And yeah, eight months later."

Eight months behind bars was a harsh decision for Daniel Rodriguez, but it could have been much worse.

According to the UFC veteran, the Mexican justice system was originally aiming to hand him an outrageous six-year sentence in prison.

"They were trying to give me six years, bro," Rodriguez confirmed. "Six years. And we had to do all kinds of stuff for me to get out. Hunter [Campbell got involved]. My management did reach out to Hunter and they couldn't do anything... I learned real quick how corrupt the system is over there. Everybody's trying to get paid."

"The reason I was in there so long is, I guess, at the time where I got arrested, the whole judicial system was going through an election at the time. So it was new judges. So all the judges that were taking bribes and stuff before, they had switched out the judges. So, the new judges that were there were like, 'All right, we just got here. We're not trying to take no, you know, we're trying to play it by the book and get comfortable... So, I was supposed to get released in December."

Daniel Rodriguez spoke in depth about his trials and tribulations, beginning with his arrest, through to his uncomfortable transportation, to his eventual release.

Now free, Rodriguez is determined to get his UFC career back on track and will be given that opportunity when he faces Uros Medic at UFC Serbia on August 1. Listen to his bizarre arrest story below.

On June 14, Gaethje will fight for the undisputed title a third time in the UFC Freedom 250 main event at the White House. "The Highlight" will attempt to unify the belts against champion Ilia Topuria.

Gaethje earned the shot at Topuria by defeating Paddy Pimblett for the interim belt at UFC 324 in January. Styles make fights and game plans usually win them. It won't be the same Gaethje on the White House Lawn as it was against Pimblett in Las Vegas.

"I really trust my coach to instill a game plan, non-verbally, through action, through constant work. You've seen me fight so many times. You've seen me fight ten different fights. I can be ten different fighters. And this sport is about matchups," Gaethje told UFC on Paramount+.

"Obviously, I'm not going to fight the same fight that I fought against [Rafael] Fiziev against Paddy Pimblett, but I do possess the skills to fight ten different fights. This is a very specific, very particular fight. More boxing heavy, very different than my other two championship fights where I was fighting, you know, grappler heavy fighters.

"My mistake in those fights was I made adjustments based off of the opponent I was fighting. I'm going to be my best and perfect self, and if he can beat me on that night then props to him."

With a trusted game plan intact, Gaethje plans to shock the world with the White House in the background.

"You can't watch him put [Alexander] Volkanovski, [Max] Holloway and [Charles] Oliveira to sleep back-to-back-to-back and not think something special is happening. All those guys were compromised by position," Gaethje said.

"He's very good at putting you into bad positions. And so obviously that is what I'm focused on right now and staying in good position, being reactive. Never retracting but always reacting. I'm going to fight the perfect fight and I'm going to throw missiles."

Following the win over Vega “The Preacher’s Daughter” was lined up to face WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han. The bout was stopped in the seventh round due to a cut from an accidental clash of heads.

The two ran it back last Saturday in El Paso, Texas in the featured fight of the Most Valuable Promotion’s MVPW-03: Han vs. Holm II fight card at El Paso County Coliseum. Han retained her belt via majority decision but Holm insisted the judges got it wrong.

Had her hand been raised, a fight between Holm and boxing legend Katie Taylor could have been set into motion. Despite her majority decision loss to Han in their rematch, Holm is still eyeing a fight with Taylor.

"Here's what's frustrating about it is that you, a lot of these judges haven't fought before. And you leave a piece of yourself in there every time. And then it's just up to them to take it away from you if they want. That's what's frustrating because every fight, however you perform in this fight dictates what doors open for you. So, that's the frustrating part about it. You put your heart and soul into it, and then what's next? What are my options," Holm said during the event's post-fight press conference. "When you have a win, more options. When you have a loss, not as many. And that's what's frustrating."

"I still want to call out the best because I feel I won the fight. So, I want to fight the Katie Taylor. I still want the big fight. Hopefully I can still make that happen."

Holm pushed for a fight with Taylor on her social media accounts on Tuesday. "Is this the fight everyone wants to see? Katie Taylor is pure class and a true, dominant champion. I’d love to have this fight and be honored to share the ring with her," Holm wrote on Instagram with a poster featuring Taylor and herself.

View this post on Instagram

"I feel like there's just always been this like maybe I'll fight with Katie Taylor. Even when I was boxing before, she was like starting pro, and I was like almost going to start to go to MMA. And I would love to fight her, and with a win (over Han) that could have been something we could set up," said Holm.

"And I feel I won the fight, so I want to try and put it together. As much as other people might not agree with that, but if I performed better, then I should be the fighter to be able to get that fight, if she would want it. But, I feel like Katie Taylor would like that too."

Topuria will make the walk to the octagon on the South Lawn undefeated and expects to remain that way. After watching Gaethje's last fight against Paddy Pimblett, he's certain that he'll be successful in his first title defense.

"Listen, if you compare my skills to his skills, I just feel that I'm way better than him," Topuria told UFC on Paramount+. "I knew that at some time I would have to defend my belt against him since he became the interim world champion, but I don't know. I see almost zero possibilities for him, but that's my perception."

"Every fighter is different. They bring different styles inside the octagon. I've never faced anyone like Justin. He's a legendary fighter. I like him as a fan and I always love to watch all of his fights because they're all very entertaining," Topuria said. "Yeah. But when you talk about like me fighting him, yeah. As I told you before, I don't see any possibility for him."

Topuria is prepared to go five rounds with Gaethje but doesn't think the fight will get out of the first frame. "I don't think so," Topuria said when asked if he thinks the fight will go into the later rounds.

"I'm prepared. I prepared and I have the stamina to go not for five rounds, but for five days I can be in there. I know how it feels when you're tired, when you can't do more and you never give up. So, I'm ready. But I have the complete faith that I'm going to finish in him the first round. I just want to make it look beautiful," said the champion.

Take a look back at Gaethje's win over Pimblett before he faces Topuria in the UFC Freedom 250 main event at the White House on June. 14.

Hrishikesh Koloth was a 27-year-old mixed martial artist who was new to combat sports, having spent less than two years honing his skills as an amateur before tragically losing his life. 'Rishi' was known for his ability on the mats, collecting back-to-back wins in three straight grappling matches in the same night at AVA Okanagan, boasting a perfect 3-0 record as a submission specialist.

Koloth was a Canadian of Indian descent who had bold ambitions of one day forcing his way into the UFC, dreaming of showcasing his grappling prowess to the world on the biggest stage. Before his death, reports suggested that he had planned on relocating to Vancouver to start a new job as a boxing coach, an aspect of the fight game he had fallen in love with. Adding to his impressive submission grappling background and over a decade of training, Koloth believed he had a bright future, but that was unfortunately cut short following a fatal incident on May 8, 2026.

Hrishikesh Koloth was undergoing his routine duties as a subcontracted technician northeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a job he did to fund his MMA dream at the Zoo Bay uranium exploration camp. As he worked on-site, Koloth was unexpectedly attacked by a black bear, resulting in his death. Koloth's passing marked just the fourth recorded fatal bear attack in Saskatchewan's history, making it an extremely rare occurrence.

His brother, Arjun, was understandably devastated by the news. Arjun spoke publicly in the aftermath of the tragic events, praising Hrishikesh's warrior spirit and speaking of desires to one day be called up to the UFC.

"That was his dream. That's why he came here," Arjun told CBC News. "He wanted to fight in the UFC... Everybody had high hopes on him. It shouldn't have been like this."

Reminiscing on who his brother was, Arjun complimented Hrishikesh for being a fighter at heart, both inside and outside of the cage.

"He's not scared of anything," Arjun continued. "Two days' notice before a fight? Doesn't matter. Opponent heavier than him? Doesn't matter. Win or lose, he just wanted to fight... I wanted him to be known for what he does, how he was. I can't do anything anymore, so at least I could do this for him."

"I want him to be remembered for what he does. Innocent heart, fighter's soul. Warrior. And I'd just like to say he fought [the] bear. That's all. Bear didn't attack him. He attacked the bear."

Covington inked a deal with Real American Freestyle and debuted in the wrestling organization in January against former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. He won his debut and picked up a second win in March, defeating Dillon Danis. In his third appearance on the RAF mat on May 30 at RAF 09, Covington picked up another win against former UFC middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman.

He's set to headline the RAF 11 event on July 18 against top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan in Milwaukee. While focused on wrestling, "Chaos" hasn't ruled an MMA return in the future.

When asked if he believed he's fought his last MMA fight, Covington told The Ariel Helwani Show, "It's 50/50. You know, I don't think I have because I know I have a lot left in the tank. I know there's a lot of good miles still left on the tread."

If Covington decides to comeback to MMA at some point, it will only be in the UFC octagon, "I could never go anywhere else. I'm a UFC fighter for life. And I'm thankful to be a UFC fighter. They made me, you know, a very successful man," he said.

"I wasn't let go. I'm still a UFC fighter. I'll always be a UFC fighter. If I come back to fight again, it will be in the UFC," continued Covington. "I'm still a UFC fighter. I'm still under contract with the UFC. All still good with the UFC. I'm very grateful for everything they did for me."

On June 14, a lightweight title bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje headlines the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House. In the co-featured fight, former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira will attempt to make history by winning titles in three different weight classes. "Poatan" takes on former interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane with the interim championship on the line.

The fight promotion is in the process of transforming the South Lawn into a canopy-covered outdoor arena Check out the latest photos and videos of the UFC Freedom 250 staging.

An updated look at the South Lawn ahead of UFC Freedom 250 🇺🇸 #UFCWhiteHouse https://t.co/pbzHEpJuzW pic.twitter.com/B0oYybSiFt

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) May 31, 2026

More photos of the White House transformation for #UFCWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/rGBG9qOZ2s

— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) June 1, 2026

Awesome aerial view of the progress being made @whitehouse for #freedom250 #ufcwhitehouse. It looks like the canopy is attached! I could be wrong as the video is not the clearest.

The finished product is going to look 🔥🔥🔥#ufc #mma #donaldtrump

VC RMS pic.twitter.com/eHm4zk50bm

— TheStarched (@TheStarched) May 31, 2026

Midway through the opening round, Topuria accomplished his goal landing a right hand that immediately rendered Oliveira unconscious. "El Matador" connected with a followup left as Oliveira crashed to the canvas.

Rewatch the knockout finish ahead of Topuria's first title defense. He takes on interim lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje in the UFC Freedom 250 main event at the White House on June 14.

Before becoming the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Holm was a world class boxer and multiple-time world champion. Following the win over Vega “The Preacher’s Daughter” was lined up to face WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han. The bout was stopped in the seventh round due to a cut from an accidental clash of heads.

The two ran it back last Saturday in El Paso, Texas in the featured fight of the Most Valuable Promotion's MVPW-03: Han vs. Holm II fight card at El Paso County Coliseum. Han retained her belt via majority decision but Holm insists her hand should have been raised instead.

"Honestly, I feel like I won that fight," Holm said in her post-fight interview. "I feel I won the fight."

"There's always things, even in a win, that I want to do better, always. I mean, we want perfection, but I really feel I won that fight," Holm reiterated. "I just feel like that fight was mine."

"I just felt like I was dictating the pace. I felt like I was landing clean shots. It's a fight. I'm not saying she never hit me, but I definitely did more in the fight. I should have had the win."

During the post-fight press conference, Holm doubled down on her belief that she won. "I feel like I was dictating the pace. I do think she had a few rounds, but not six. You have to win six rounds to win a 10-round fight. I don't give her six rounds. I feel it in my heart I won."

Topuria is a heavy betting favorite two weeks out from the event, but should he be? UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovksi broke down the main event matchup on his YouTube channel and gave his prediction for the outcome.

"Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, White House, main event fight. Huge fight. Ilia obviously looking like the favorite. The pros are saying this could be a very, very bad night for Justin Gaethje," Volkanovski said.

"Justin Gaethje, obviously a durable, aggressive fighter and still quite calculated. A lot of people see him being so aggressive and think he's just going to be so open for Ilia. ... Justin Gaethje has a lot of offense, very aggressive, but he will still try and put himself in defensive positions. He'll shell up."

"So Gaethje, I think being defensive coming forward with maybe trying to come forward, pressure, really shield up, not giving easy options for Ilia is going to be his approach. I've seen him sort of do that, and I think he's going to know he needs to do that," Volkanovski added. "It just depends on what Gaethje shows up.

Topuria is also an aggressive fighter with deadly accurate hands. He's precise with his counter strikes and can end a fight with one shot. But it won't be easy according to the featherweight champ.

"Are there easy ways to find a finish for Ilia? No. This is going to be maybe a little bit harder," said Volkanovski. "But as soon as Gaethje opens himself up ... As soon as he tries to open up and let his hands go off, you know, take the opportunity, I just believe Ilia is going to be too sharp and just catch him. I think he's safe enough and defensive enough to not fall into any of Gaethje's traps and then as soon as Gaethje opens up, game over."

"I think it's going to be a KO for Ilia," predicted Volkanovski. "He's the favorite for a reason. I think he's just going to be too much and he's going to be the KO victory."

A win for Pavlovich wouldn't have moved the needle unless the win was quick and brutal. He delivered, finishing the Brazilian in just 39 seconds. Following the win, Pavlovich called for a title shot.

"Remember we talked to you and I said to you, 'First, let me knock him out then we'll talk about the belt,'" Pavlovich told Michael Bisping in his post-fight interview. "This is the time now. I'd like to talk to Dana [White]. Dana, give me the title shot, or at least give me a contender fight."

Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall continues to recover from being double eye poked in his UFC 312 title defense against Ciryl Gane last October. In his absence, the fight promotion will crown an interim heavyweight champion on June 14 on the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House. Gane takes on former two-division titleholder Alex Pereira in the fight card's co-main event. Pavlovich doesn't care who wins but he wants to face the winner.

"It doesn't matter to me who wins. I want to get the winner," said the Russian. "I work hard. I work every single day. I want the belt."

UFC Macau Octagon Interview: Sergei Pavlovich

In the co-main event, former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington faced former UFC middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman. Covington narrowly won lining up a July match against Arman Tsarukyan in the RAF 11 featured match.

Other notable wins include: fomer UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili defeated former UFC lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar in one-sided fashion. Top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan picked up another RAF win kicking off Saturday's night of match.

RAF 9 official results:

• Gable Steveson def. Alexandr Romanov via technical fall (10-0)
• Colby Covington def. Chris Weidman via decision (5-4)
• Kyle Snyder def. Givi Matcharashvili via technical fall (10-0)
• Merab Dvalishvili def. Frankie Edgar via technical fall (12-1)
• Real Woods def. Ibragim Ilyasov via pinfall (2:11)
• Parker Keckeisen def. Georgios Kougioumtsidis via decision (8-5)
• Jason Nolf def. Christopher Minto via decision (10-5)
• Zain Retherford def. Antrell Taylor via decision (8-0)
• Ridge Lovett def. Bajrang Punia via decision (13-8)
• Lucia Yepez def. Cameron Guerin via technical fall (10-0)
• Arman Tsarukyan def. Keelon Jimison via technical fall (5-0)

UFC Macau Highlights: Song vs. Figueiredo

UFC Macau Highlights: Menifield vs. Mingyang

Check out the fight highlights.

UFC Macau Highlights: Pavlovich vs. Teixeira

UFC Macau Highlights: Asakura vs. Smotherman

Song entered the bout coming off a loss to former titleholder Sean O'Malley in January and was looking to get back in the win column. Figueiredo had lost three of his last four fights. In jeopardy of losing his footing in the top of the division, the Brazilian was in critical need of a victory.

Song took the center of the cage and inched forward. Song landed first with an outside leg kick. He continued to invest in leg kicks in the early going. Figueiredo had low output. Song connected with a right hand. Figueiredo rushed forward with a hard right hand. Song began targeting the body with punches. Figueiredo briefly looked for. a takedown but Song shook off the attempt. Song fended off a second takedown attempt and delivered a leg kick. Figueiredo landed a kick to the body. Song slipped in the closing moments of the round and Figueiredo took top control. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Song.

Song pressured Figueiredo to start the second frame. Figueiredo been mixing in kicks to the body while Song continue to use leg kicks. Song caught.a kick and briefly took Figueiredo down. Figueiredo stood but ate a few right hands. Song picked up the pace. Figueiredo went for a takedown but Song stuffed the attempt and delivered a head kick that partially landed as Figueiredo stood. The former flyweight champion took it. Figueiredo changed levels for a takedown and Song quickly applied a guillotine choke. He locked it down and Figueiredo was forced to tap out.

The official time of the submission stoppage was 4:42 of the second round.

The event was headlined by a bantamweight bout between No. 5 ranked Song Yadong and No. 7 ranked former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Song defeated the Brazilian via submission in the second round.

UFC Macau Post-Fight Press Conference

The event is headlined by a bantamweight bout between No. 5 ranked Song Yadong and No. 7 ranked former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. It will be the fight promotion's fifth visit to the special administrative region of China.

UFC Macau Official Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 7 a.m. ET)

• Song Yadong def. Deiveson Figueiredo via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:42, Round 2
• Alonzo Menifield def. Zhang Mingyang via TKO (punches) at 4:14, Round 1
• Sergei Pavlovich def. Tallison Teixeira via TKO (punches) at 0:39, Round 1
• Kai Asakura def. Cameron Smotherman via KO (punch) at 1:49, Round 1
• Jake Matthews def. Carlson Harris via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27)
• Su Mudaerji vs. Alex Perez No Contest (accidental low blow) at 1:45, Round 2

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 4 a.m. ET)

• Luis Felipe def. Yi Sak Lee via TKO (punches) at 3:40, Round 1
• Jose Henrique Souza def. Meng Ding via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Cody Haddon def. Aori Qileng via TKO (knees to the body and punches) at 2:10, Round 2
• Rei Tsuruya def. Luis Gurule via submission (face crank) at 3:19, Round 1
• Angela Hill def. Xiong Jing Nan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Rodrigo Vera def. Kangjie Zhu via KO (punches) at 1:50, Round 1
• Jaqueline Amorim def. Loma Lookboonmee via submission (armbar) at 4:04, Round 1

Pavlovich, a mainstay in the top tier of the division, entered the bout coming off back-to-back wins. Teixeira bounced back from his first career loss in his last outing defeating Tai Tuivasa in February. A win over Pavlovich would catapult the prospect in the rankings.

The two met in the middle and felt each other out. Pavlovich stepped into the pocket with right hand that hurt Teixeira. The Russian followed up with another right hand followed by another that sent Teixeira to the canvas. Pavlovich followed up with a series lefts on the ground to seal the deal.

It only took the 39 seconds for Pavlovich to dispatch of Teixeira. During his post-fight interview, Pavlovich urged UFC CEO Dana White to give him a title shot or a top contender's bout.

"I want the belt." he said.

The boogeyman of the heavyweight division 😤@SPavlovich13 wasted no time to earn the RD1 knockout!

[ #UFCMacau | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Z6yr7IvYmx

— UFC (@ufc) May 30, 2026

UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently voiced concerns about the White House card taking place outside but former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley dismissed Rogan's worries.

"I just don't think you should compete in a world championship fight in a non-controlled environment. It should be inside an air-conditioned arena. ... Imagine if someone loses a fight because it's too hot outside," Rogan said on the JRE MMA Show.

"It's at the White House, so it's just, you know, you've got to deal with whatever you got to deal with. That would suck to lose because of a reason outside of your skill set, you know, let the best man win. And if something plays a role because it's outside and it affects the fight somehow, that would suck. it's unfortunate but none of us signed the contract thinking it was inside," O'Malley told MMAJunkie.

"We all know it's outside. We all know what we're getting into. Maybe not to an extent. Like, we don't know what all's going to happen, but we all know it's going to be outside and we're going to have to deal with, you know, possibly deal with stuff. So, we all signed it," O'Malley continued.

"If the weather's not crazy, it's just going to be, it's going to come down to who's better, who's more skilled, who's more prepared. And that's what I think it's going to come down to with these fights. So, I'm not too worried about these weather conditions. And, you know, we're going to have to adapt to it if it is messed up weather."

O'Malley, ranked No. 2 in the bantamweight division, takes on No. 6 ranked Aiemann Zahabi on the South Lawn.

Covington broke the news to the organization during a meeting with Chief business officer Hunter Campbell. While he's stepping away from MMA, Covington isn't leaving combat sports. He'll be trading in his MMA gloves for wrestling shoes.

"I had a good meeting with Hunter. And, you know, we just talked about the future and we talked about everything that's been done and all the business we've done and it was a productive meeting," Covington said on The Ariel Helwani Show.

"I just said that, you know, I'm very thankful for everything the UFC has allowed me to be able to do in my life and all the blessings that I've received from them. But, you know, this is the next step in my combat sports career is to join wrestling full-time, my first true love and passion," continued Covington.

"I started wrestling when I was in diapers and I was a little kid and it was family business, you know, to go into the wrestling world. So now I can get back to doing what I love the most which is wrestling."

Covington inked a deal with Real American Freestyle and debuted in the wrestling organization in January 2025 against former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. He won his debut and picked up a second win in March, defeating Dillon Danis. On Saturday, Covington will make his third appearance on the RAF mat against another former UFC middleweight titleholder, Chris Weidman.

The event is headlined by a bantamweight bout between No. 5 ranked Song Yadong and No. 7 ranked former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Figueiredo tipped the scales slightly lighter than Yandog at 135.5 pounds. Yadong officially weighed 136. During the face-off, the two got close and personal.

UFC Macau Face-Offs Video

The event is headlined by a bantamweight bout between No. 5 ranked Song Yadong and No. 7 ranked former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Figueiredo tipped the scales slightly lighter than Yandog at 135.5 pounds. Yadong officially weighed 136.

Looking for his 7th UFC finish 👊@SongYadongLFG checks in at 136 lbs

[ LIVE MAY 30 on @ParamountPlus | #GalaxyMacau | #GalaxyArena ] pic.twitter.com/ppgxSctB24

— UFC (@ufc) May 29, 2026

Eyeing a bounce-back victory 👀@Daico_Deiveson | 135.5 lbs

[ LIVE MAY 30 on @ParamountPlus | #GalaxyMacau | #GalaxyArena ] pic.twitter.com/umnylzliP5

— UFC (@ufc) May 29, 2026

UFC Macau Weigh-In Video

UFC Macao Official Weigh-In Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 6 a.m. ET)

• Song Yadong (136) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135.5)
• Alonzo Menifield (206) vs. Zhang Mingyang (205)
• Sergei Pavlovich (257) vs. Tallison Teixeira (250)
• Kai Asakura (135.5) vs. Cameron Smotherman (135.5)
• Carlson Harris (170.5) vs. Jake Matthews (170)
• Su Mudaerji (126) vs. Alex Perez (125.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 4 a.m. ET)

• Luis Felipe (184.5) vs. Yi Sak Lee (185)
• Meng Ding (170.5) vs. Jose Henrique (170.5)
• Cody Haddon (135) vs. Aori Qileng (135)
• Luis Gurule (135) vs. Rei Tsuruya (135)
• Angela Hill (115) vs. Xiong Jing Nan (115.5)
• Rodrigo Vera (145) vs. Kangjie Zhu (145)
• Jaqueline Amorim (115.5) vs. Loma Lookboonmee (115)

Take a look back at every Alex Pereira UFC fight from his rise in the 185-pound weight class to his taking over the light heavyweight division.

The main event features a WBA lightweight world championship rematch between Stephanie Han and combat sports legend Holly Holm. In the co-main event, Amanda "The Real Deal" Serrano faces Cheyenne Hanson.

On Thursday, the fighter appeared at the pre-fight press conference.

Rousey returned to the cage after nearly a decade away on May 16 against fellow women's mixed martial arts trailblazer Gina Carano in the first Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix promoted MMA event. The bout grabbed public attention and drew solid numbers on the streaming platform.

Rousey tapped Carano out with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into the fight. Holm was asked about Rousey's return during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

"I wasn't shocked when she came back with this fight. I think maybe deep down there's just always this hunger that she had to want to get back in there and get a win. It didn't surprise me that she wanted to. She's been active, still doing, you know, physical things. She's still been performing. She's still been doing her thing, living her life. So, it didn't shock me that she came back," said Holm.

"I didn't think she would. You know, if you said, 'Do you think Ronda will fight again?' I'm not sure if she would ... I wasn't shocked. I just wouldn't have, I guess, I wouldn't have guessed it."

Holm is always skeptical when she hears a former champion, or someone that has reached the level of the Olympics, announcing their retirement.

"I feel like any, let's just say this, any fighter has it in them, especially if they've been a champion. And with her, she's been an Olympian. She's been a champion. And if you have that in you, any fighter that ever says they're retired or done, I don't ever really believe the because they have that in them," Holm said. And so, for her to comeback, she just felt she wanted to do something competitive like that again and push herself."z

Diaz released a statement via social media on Tuesday breaking his silence for the first time since the defeat.

"I wasn’t happy with my inactivity, but a lack of opponents will do that," Diaz wrote on Instagram. "It was easy to get up for me in this fight. Now I think it’ll be even easier to get up for him. Either way, shoutout to Mike on the win and for getting me off my ass.

"Now I’ve got a target. Hunting season.  Take the motherf**ker out."

View this post on Instagram

In McGregor's time away, Holloway has fought for the 145-pound title, the BMF belt, and for the lightweight championship. He's been facing top tier talent in two divisions and former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch, is concerned for the Irishman.

"Conor McGergor hasn't fought since July 10, 2021. We're looking at a clean five years come time. He's 1-3 in his last four bouts. Doesn't have the best luck against southpaws, Dustin Poirier, Nate Diaz. He's taking on Max "Blessed" Holloway.

"Okay. Max Holloway, 27-9, 34-years-old in his absolute prime right now. He is 4 and 2 in his last six bouts. Last fight (loss) came from Charles Oliveira body locking him, taking him down," Welch said on his YouTube channel.

"I'm pumped because we get to see "The Notorious," the Godly Notorious. He's coming back. He's a big church guy now. Big church guy now, so that gives me a little bit of hope that he'll make it to the bout. Now, if he wasn't Mr. Church guy right now, I'd say that he's probably not going to make it back to the bout. And I don't know why they did this fight," Welch continued. "The fight's at 170. Conor's been out for five years. half a decade. Not the best fight to make in my opinion.

"Max Holloway is probably, he's one of the most slick guys. He fights southpaw, he fights orthodox. He'll stomp your legs. He'll teep your body. He'll piece you up with his punches. Five rounds. I know McGregor and those guys were pushing for three rounds. Max Holloway is the king at five rounds."

Welch doesn't like the matchup for McGregor at this point in his career and questioned whether the Irishman has the conditioning at 37 to go five rounds with Holloway. McGregor will turn 38 three days after UFC 329.

"How will Conor's cardio hold up? 37-years-old? And we're jumping straight into a five-round main event against Max Holloway who is No. 4 in the world at lightweight," said Welch.

"This is going to be a rough day for Conor McGregor. I'm a little bit worried about him. I really am."

In April, at UFC 327, Hokit got the opportunity to face fifth-ranked former interim title challenger Curtis Blaydes and made the most of the opportunity. Hokit hurt Blaydes early in the opening round, but Blaydes wasn’t to be put away early or easily. He fought back hurting Hokit on several occasions. The bout was a back-and-forth instant classic. Hokit got the unanimous decision nod, earned two bonuses for his efforts, and got an invite to be on the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House.

"The Incredible Hok" takes on former titleholder challenger and knockout artist Derrick Lewis on June 14 on the South Lawn. Relive the fight that earned Hokit the trip to Washington D.C.

Before becoming the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Holm was a world class boxer and multiple-time world champion. Following the win over Vega “The Preacher’s Daughter” was lined up to face WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han. The bout was stopped in the seventh round due to a cut from an accidental clash of heads. After checking the cut, the ringside doctor called a halt to the match. At the time, Han was well ahead on the scorecards.

Holm called for a rematch and was granted one. She and Han will run it back on May 30 in El Paso, Texas and Holm looks to be in incredible shape for the rematch.

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

Workers have begun to assemble "The Claw" and the temporary venue on the South Lawn that will host the historic event. The venue will seat approximately 5,000 guests invited by the fight promotion and the Trump administration. More spectators will be able to watch on jumbo screens at the nearby Ellipse.

Cranes on cranes at the White House today, prepping for the UFC fight that will be held on the South Lawn in June, and construction of the President’s new ballroom. pic.twitter.com/GdBZmfrmuY

— Julie Tsirkin (@news_jul) May 25, 2026

The fight card is headlined by lightweight championship bout between titleholder Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje. Former two-division champion Alex Pereira takes on France's Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event. The week-long will feature the pre-fight press conference and ceremonial weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial. On event night, the fighters will make their way to the octagon from the Oval Office.

Last week, the fight promotion released new renderings of the octagon and UFC Fan Fest layouts.

History in the making 👀

New visuals for #UFCWhiteHouse and the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest are here!

[ Presented by @Cryptocom & @RamTrucks ] pic.twitter.com/PQP7dut7fE

— UFC (@ufc) May 23, 2026

Brand Risk is an influencer-led crossover fighting establishment featuring some of the most famous and viral celebrities. The organization leans into the controversy and platforms unusual characters that others would often avoid, as its company name suggests. Any entity comfortable with showcasing public figures and internet personalities in the ring will always have to fend off criticism from the outside world, and Brand Risk Promotions is no different.

Among those not impressed with the company and what it stands for is UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

"I've never been a part of anything so shameful in my life and I hate myself," Strickland said after leaving the Brand Risk event. "I feel like less of a man after being here. Oh, god. Why did I agree to this?"

Sean Strickland was invited as a guest to the show and spent some time on commentary during the strange matchups on display.

Partway through the event, which featured well-known musician Ray J and former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel, Strickland had seen enough and stormed out. Shortly after his exit, the 35-year-old publicly expressed his regret for attending.

"I had to get the f*** out of there, man," Strickland continued. "I like Adin, but I'm like sick to my f***ing stomach. That is f***ed up. This is the most f***ed up thing I've ever witnessed in my f***ing life. I'm ready to go home and look myself in the mirror after. I've never done anything so shameful in my life, being a part of this."

"Sorry, guys. Was just trying to say hi to a friend. Next thing you know, your dignity is gone."

Amid the criticism, Paul has managed to fashion out a respectable career for himself as a boxer. Managing to navigate his way through the sport despite his late beginnings, 'The Problem Child' has quickly established himself as one of the most prominent figures in the ring. While the ability with his hands doesn't remotely compare to the current greats in boxing, Paul's knack for drawing attention from both fans and critics has earned him the acknowledgment of his peers.

Bypassing the circus act claims early in his tenure, fighting Jake Paul is now considered a money fight for fighters in the latter stages of their careers. Intrigued by the prospect of making millions of dollars against a man far less dangerous than his usual opponents, Sean Strickland has made a bold proposal to the UFC: release him from his contract so he can fight Jake Paul.

"I gotta leave the UFC and go beat up Jake Paul," Strickland said while attending the Brand Risk event. "That's it. Cut my contract, UFC. It's time for me to leave."

Disagreements over fighter pay within the UFC remain a conversation decades after its birth. There have been many athletes who've competed with the company who were thrilled with their contracts throughout their stay, but countless others believe their contracts don't mirror what they should be earning.

Having recaptured his UFC middleweight throne, Sean Strickland is in as powerful a position as any to be making more money. Champions have historically earned more than contenders, but Strickland won't compete with Jake Paul's earnings, who ranked No. 23 on the 2026 Forbes list of highest-paid athletes, having raked in $70 million.

Nobody under the UFC banner made the list, triggering a response from Strickland.

"Even if I made just a fraction of that, I am making more than what the f***ing UFC is paying me."

Strickland continued:

"I'd beat the f***ing sh*t out of Jake Paul. Oh, I'd f***ing beat the sh*t out of him. Jake Paul lost against, pretty much, a reality TV star named [Tommy Fury]... That guy's not even a real boxer."

Sean Strickland wants to leave the UFC after seeing Jake Paul on the Forbes highest-paid athletes list 😭

“I gotta leave the UFC and go beat up Jake Paul. That’s it. Cut my contract, UFC. It’s time for me to leave.” https://t.co/TA2gxlnY9c pic.twitter.com/rh4ENU8eBp

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 24, 2026