UFC Freedom 250 FAQ: Bugs, weather among concerns for White House card

The initial concept for UFC Freedom 250 stems simply from a casual remark from President Donald Trump during a speech he gave on July 4 of last year.

The U.S. President proposed hosting a UFC event at the White House in the middle of 2026 to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence.

That idea quickly turned into a formal proposal, and after months of meticulous planning, the event is less than one week away from becoming reality.

The initial target date for the one-off event was going to be July 4, however, that was later changed to June 14, which happens to coincide with Flag Day in the U.S., as well as Trump’s 80th birthday.

Seven matchups, including two title fights, have been announced for the first professional sporting event on presidential grounds.

Event organizers have been busy building the cage structure and lighting rig for several weeks ahead of the outdoor card, but given the unique setting, there are still a handful of potential logistical concerns with mere days remaining until the anticipated event in Washington, D.C.

What are the biggest potential variables?

Dana White has long stated that he is not a fan of outdoor combat sporting events because of the lack of control over the elements. The UFC president, who is a longtime friend of Trump, decided to make an exception to help facilitate the one-of-a-kind event.

There were always going to be an abundance of security concerns factoring into the event, given where it is and who will be there, but as for the fights themselves, there are also potential issues that could impact the athletes while they compete or cause the fights to be delayed or even postponed. 

First and foremost is the weather. Heat and humidity could impact how hot and slippery the canvas could get, as well as affect an athlete’s mobility and cardio, but it wouldn’t be enough to cancel any fights.

The forecast for the D.C. area on Sunday afternoon is over 30 degrees Celsius with a small chance of rain throughout the evening and night. Rain, like excessive heat, would not be ideal, but it would, in theory, not affect the bouts enough to warrant cancellation.

Lightning would be a different story, though.

“The only thing that can really crush us is lightning,” White said when breaking down his two biggest fight-night concerns in a recent interview with Rich Kleiman on an episode of the podcast Boardroom Talks. “So if lightning happens that night, we’ll wait out the lightning until it goes away and we’ll do the show a little bit later, or we’ll see how that plays out.”

Another possible hazard would be one that could significantly impact the fighters in the cage, which would present a safety issue.

“The other problem that I always think about — especially on the East Coast — is bugs,” White added.

White explained he was invited to the Rose Garden in mid-May for a dinner, and he said: “The amount of gnats that were flying around … I’m like, ‘Holy (expletive).’ As soon as I got on the plane, I called my head of production (Craig Borsari) and said, ‘Yeah, let me tell you about the gnat situation.’”

During the podcast conversation, Kleiman referenced the notorious 2007 ALDS baseball game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, where, during the eighth inning, a swarm of midges pestered pitcher Joba Chamberlain and other players and officials. This type of situation would obviously lead to safety concerns if it were to occur during a mixed martial arts bout, which is already a dangerous sport.

“When you’re a fighter, think about that lighting grid, the claw that we’re gonna have (above and around the Octagon), the amount of power in the lights,” White continued. “Moths, gnats, and God knows what else. Fighters trying to deal with that. … These are all the things I think about. In your mouth, up your nose while you’re trying to fight, so I was telling (Borsari), 'Maybe we put fans in because gnats have a hard time with the wind.’ These are all the little details that we have to think about. That’s why I don’t like fighting outside. Ever.”

Has the UFC previously done an outdoor event?

As mentioned above, White is on record voicing his skepticism about holding outdoor cards, and perhaps UFC 112 is a major reason why. Back in 2010, the UFC held its debut event in Abu Dhabi, where a temporary outdoor arena called The Concert Arena was constructed and later dismantled. That event is famous for a few reasons. Frankie Edgar became lightweight champion when he defeated B.J. Penn in the co-main event, but Anderson Silva notoriously defended the middleweight title against Demian Maia in one of the most lacklustre title fights and main events in UFC history. White was livid and went on an infamous post-fight rant about how upset he was with how the main event unfolded.

The UFC has also held multiple events in support of U.S. military personnel in the past — one at Fort Hood in Texas in 2011, and another at Fort Campbell in Kentucky in 2013 — and had UFC 306 at the technological marvel, the Sphere in Las Vegas, in 2024, but none of those events were quite as unique as UFC Freedom 250.

Who is on the White House card?

Although the location of the event is being billed as the real star of the show, the event wouldn’t be possible without the participation of 14 of the UFC’s top fighters.

Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will face interim lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje in a five-round main event. The UFC introduced an interim title in January when Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324, while Topuria took a personal leave of absence.

Former light-heavyweight and middleweight champion Alex Pereira will look to become the first fighter in UFC history to win a title in a third weight class when he faces Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title fight. Reigning heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall is still recovering from the serious eye injuries he sustained at UFC 321 in October when he was egregiously poked in both eyes by Gane in the first round of their title fight.

There will also be some Canadian content in the American capital when Montreal native and Sportsnet contributor Aiemann Zahabi meets former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley in a pivotal 135-pound contest where the winner could position themselves for a title shot.

Below is the full bout order for UFC Freedom 250:

-- Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje (lightweight title unification bout)

-- Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane (for interim heavyweight title)

-- 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

Will there be any special attire? 

What would this event be without some custom digs? All the fighters will don custom fight kits. All gear will have a red, white and blue colour palette (for all fighters, not only the American athletes) with a bespoke badge featuring the official White House logo.

And just like they did at the Sphere for 2024’s Noche UFC card, the Octagon Girls will also get custom fits for when they present the round signs before and during the fights.

What other events are happening during fight week?

Sportsnet's Aaron Bronsteter, Arden Zwelling and former UFC fighter Diana Belbita are on site providing coverage throughout the week in Washington, D.C., so stay tuned to Sportsnet.ca for one-on-one fighter interviews and much more.

Media Day, Wednesday, June 10: Media members will get the chance to speak with the fighters at a podium. All 14 athletes scheduled to compete on Sunday’s card are expected to take questions during the media day.

Media Tour of White House, Thursday, June 11: Members of the media will get a tour of the White House several days before the event, so stay tuned to Sportsnet to hear from Aaron and Diana about their experience during the tour as they share their thoughts on the unique event setup.

Pre-fight press conference, Friday, June 12: All participating fighters will head to the Lincoln Memorial to answer some final questions from reporters roughly 48 hours prior to the start of UFC Freedom 250. This event is open to the public and will be available to stream live on Sportsnet+ beginning at approximately 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Official weigh-in, Saturday, June 13: Fighters begin to hit the scale Saturday morning at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT as they attempt to make weight. Topuria and Gaethje must weigh no more than 155 pounds each for their lightweight title unification bout, while Pereira’s and Gane’s limit for their interim heavyweight title clash is 265 pounds. Pereira is making his heavyweight debut. All other fighters will be afforded a one-pound allowance for their non-title matchups.

Ceremonial weigh-in, Saturday, June 13: Later in the day, all UFC Freedom 250 fighters will be present at The Ellipse, which is a park located on the south side of the White House wall. Athletes will pose on the scale for fans and face off with their opponent one last time before Sunday’s fights. This will be available to stream live on Sportsnet+ beginning at approximately 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

UFC Freedom 250, Sunday, June 14: Unlike other UFC events, there is no preliminary card this weekend. Instead, the entire seven-fight card is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and is available to order through Sportsnet+. Also unlike most UFC events, these fights take place on a Sunday night, as opposed to a standard Saturday event.