Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje are set to go head-to-head on the South Lawn of the White House in a one-of-a-kind UFC showcase. This weekend, Dana White and the UFC will stage a historic event on the grounds of the White House.
When is UFC White House? Date and UK start time for Freedom 250
When Donald Trump unveiled his plan to host a monumental UFC showcase on the South Lawn to celebrate his birthday and 250 years of the United States, many thought it was a mere pipe dream. However, after quickly being given the green light, the UFC are just hours from hosting one of the biggest events in the sport's history.
Tickets did not go on sale to the public. The 5,000 spectators that will sit cageside were invited by the UFC, the Trump administration, or are active military members. In the main event, Ilia Topuria will defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje. Playing chief support, Alex Pereira will move up to heavyweight and will take on Ciryl Gane for the interim title. And so, here is everything you need to know ahead of the card.
When is UFC White House and what time will it start in the UK?
The UFC will stage a historic night of fighting on Sunday, June 14 - which is also US President Donald Trump's 80th birthday. It will likely start at around 1am UK time on Monday (8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT). In the main event, Gaethje will make the walk to the cage first at around 4am UK time on Monday (11pm ET / 10pm CT / 8pm PT) with Topuria set to follow shortly after. The two stars will then touch gloves soon after before the first bell sounds. The fight should not start later than this but could be brought forward if the undercard fights are completed earlier than expected.
How to watch and stream UFC White House fights
The fights will be shown in the UK on TNT Sports and HBO Max. The card is not set to be a pay-per-view event so existing customers will be able to watch the fights free of charge. The fights will also be streamed on Paramount+ in the US. The fights can be watched on TV or streamed through your mobile device.
UFC White House fight card
- Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje
- Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane
- Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi
- Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit
- Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler
- Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus
- Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia
Quotes corner
Ilia Topuria: “I always had the desire to knock him out. But this time it was like if after I knocked him out, I would shake his hand and show him some respect. This time, it’s not going to be like that. I’m not going to show him any respect.” He added: “I always had the perception that he was kind of an idiot. He just confirmed that. So it wasn’t any surprise to me.”
Justin Gaethje: “I think it definitely doesn’t need to be personal. I mean, ultimately we’re going to try to hurt each other. So, I guess that is pretty personal. But that is the job that we do. I never said anything personal. But we’re very vulnerable when it comes to fight week. We’re very emotional and so we take everything personal and so no matter what I said or didn’t say, we’re going to take it personal. No matter what he says, I’m going to take it personal because I have a chip on my shoulder and this guy’s trying to fight me, beat me up.”
