American Upset Caps Off Wild UFC Night

The UFC held its once-in-a-lifetime “UFC Freedom 250” event on the White House South Lawn Sunday night, an event that featured patriotic walkouts, a Thunderbirds and Blue Angels flyover, and a string of must-see fights. 

The most anticipated fight of the night was saved for last, as Justin Gaethje looked to pull off one of the most miraculous wins in the history of the UFC over Ilia Topuria, who is a two weight class champion and is coming off of knockouts of all time greats in the sport against Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira.

Many doubted Gaethje, the American, whose odds closed from around 4-1 to even 6-1 on some sites. This didn’t stop Gaethje.

Following three rounds of domination and a near-doctor’s stoppage at the end of the third, Topuria’s corner threw in the towel at the end of the fourth round, earning Gaethje his first ever undisputed lightweight championship in arguably the biggest upset in the history of mixed martial arts.

“I’m from America, 250 years ago we were way bigger than 6-1 dogs, and look at us thriving now,” Gaethje stated in his post-fight interview.

New UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje dropped a legendary line after his HISTORIC upset over Illia Topuria.

Joe Rogan pointed out that he was a 6-1 underdog going into the fight.

GAETHJE: “Hey, I’m from America. 250 years ago we were WAY bigger than 6-1 dogs!”

“And look… pic.twitter.com/3d3AMKp3RQ

— Overton (@overton_news) June 15, 2026

The card consisted of seven matches including two title fights in the heavyweight and lightweight division. President and CEO of the UFC Dana White scheduled some of the biggest names in the sport to compete in the historical event, including Sean O’Malley, Michael Chandler, and Alex Pereira.

All seven fights finished via knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO), making it one of the most entertaining cards in the history of mixed martial arts.

Festivities began with a flyover from the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels during the national anthem. Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia set the tone early by engaging in exchanges in the center of the octagon.

No better way to start #UFCWhiteHouse ????

LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus!

[ UFC Freedom 250 Presented by @Cryptocom & @RamTrucks ] pic.twitter.com/zSusjJnsJx

— UFC (@ufc) June 15, 2026

Halfway through the second round, Lopes caught Garcia with a handful of beautiful shots, knocking him down and finishing the fight on the ground. While the Brazilian defeated an American in this bout, Bo Nickal was able to kick things off for the Americans, a sign of good things to come for the main event. Nickal defeated his opponent Kyle Daukaus by TKO in the first round, being the first of four Americans to win at UFC Freedom 250. 

American fan-favorite Michael Chandler stepped into the octagon next, but Brazilian star Mauricio Ruffy finished Chandler after a series of head kicks and straight shots at the end of the first round.

The United States was able to get back in the win column with fireworks in the ensuing fights. 

Heavyweight Josh Hokit defeated Derrick Lewis by TKO in the second round before cutting a Randy Savage/Hulk Hogan-esque promo, finishing with a comment for former first lady Michelle Obama.

“And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man,” Hokit yelled over the microphone. “Am I right, America?”

The unforgettable moments continued as America’s own “Suga” Sean O’Malley earned a walk-off knockout over Canadian fighter Aiemann Zahabi, saluting to the crowd before the referee could even call the fight.

Sean O’Malley hit a salute before Aiemann Zahabi even hit the ground ????

Insane walk off emote ????

(via @UFConParamount) pic.twitter.com/WuaoOK7nwr

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 15, 2026

O’Malley’s knockout ended the final of the non-title fight matches, prompting the second flyover over the night, this time from a B-1 Lancer.

Amazing fly over after Sean O’Malley’s TKO victory at UFC 250! pic.twitter.com/J4UorcpwxB

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 15, 2026

Later in the night, France’s Ciryl Gane delivered another exciting win, knocking out fan-favorite and former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in the beginning of the second round, who was looking to be the first fighter to be a champion at three different wait classes.

UFC Freedom 250 also included the fan fest, where mixed martial arts fans from across the country met up in the nation’s capital to attend meet and greets, other festivities, and the watch party, all taking place at The Ellipse. White estimated that nearly 200,000 people were in the park over the two-day event.

The massive event at the White House and surrounding areas led to backlash on social media. 

Members of the Left argued that the event was highly political, complaining that President Donald Trump was ruining the integrity of the South Lawn, even leading to a lawsuit being filed to stop the event, stating it was a “corrupt spectacle.” Following the event, White shot down any remarks suggesting that politics took over.

“I did all the media. We went to New York, I did far-Left. I did far-Right. I did down the middle. I did it all,” White said during the press conference. “I believe if you are an American, no matter where you sit politically, tonight was a proud night to just sit around and enjoy the 250th birthday of America.”

White has already expressed the uniqueness of the event, explaining that nothing like it would ever happen again. 

“This was an amazing experience,” White said. “This was a one of one that will never happen again. … I can’t afford it. There’s no f*cking way we can do this again.”