UFC confirms White House Freedom 250 fight card, bonus hike

UFC CEO Dana White on Friday confirmed the finalized lineup for the "Freedom 250" event to be held on the White House South Lawn on Sunday, announcing 12 bouts headed by two championship fights and an expanded fighter bonus.

Speaking at a ceremonial news conference at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, White said World Liberty Financial had added $250,000 to the event's bonus pool, bringing the "Fight of the Night" award to $400,000 for each of the two winning athletes.

The card will be headlined by a lightweight title match between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje, while Alex Pereira is set to face Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight championship contest.

Other announced matchups include Sean O'Malley against Aiemann Zahabi, Derrick Lewis against Josh Hoekstra, Michael Chandler against Mauricio Ruffy, Bo Nickal against Kyle Daukaus and Diego Lopes against Steve Garcia.

White also said the entire event would be streamed on Paramount+, seeking to clarify speculation over broadcast arrangements.

Addressing concerns over weather after rain in Washington, he said the event would proceed as planned despite rain or snow, adding that only severe conditions such as lightning could affect scheduling.

The outdoor event, staged as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the US, is scheduled to take place on the White House grounds on Sunday.