UFC White House LIVE RESULTS from Topuria vs Gaethje and Pereira vs Gane

Diego Lopes was in a world of trouble after a terrible opening five minutes. But he rallied on in the second, and the left hook proved to be the beginning of the end for Garcia. What a win for Lopes.

Former freestyle wrestling sensation Bo Nickal returns to the octagon for the first time in six months. The American suffered his first MMA defeat to Reinier de Ridder in May 2025, before getting back to winning ways against Rodolfo Vieira in his last outing back in November. The 30-year-old has a huge amount of hype behind his name and will be eager to pick huge win against a tough Kyle Daukaus - who has not lost in six fights. The American was released by the UFC in 2023, but returned last year, and has won his first two fights since re-signing with the promotion.

Lopes is looking rather hesitant right now. Definitely a shadow of his former self right now, but that could change in a second. Garcia pressing forward once again in the second. Good jab in return by Lopes, by Garcia is enjoying himself in the cage thus far. Garcia chipping away at the leg here with just over three minutes to go. Nice clean straight left by Garcia. That one stung Lopes a tad.

Nice right hand over the top by Lopes followed by a left hook but eats a one-two for his trouble. OOOOOOOO down Garcia out of nowhere! The left hook dropped him, but Garcia quickly gets up and now they are throwing bombs in the pocket, and OOOOOOO another left hook gets through for Lopes and Garca drops again, he is lying on his back, Lopes pouring it on - AND THAT WILL DO IT! What a comeback by Diego Lopes. My word what an explosive start to the night. Hats off to both men, Garcia had his moments, but got caught being a tad lazy there and was made to pay.

Here we go! Our first fight is underway! I have got goosebumps right now. How the UFC have pulled this off is insane. Both men race to the centre of the cage, just feinting early - trying to get a read of each other. Nice leg kick by Lopes, but Garcia is on the front foot early as he lands a straight left but gets countered by Lopes - quite the start here. Good right hand by Garcia on the inside.

Garcia is just pushing right now. Leg kick attempt by Lopes is blocked. Garcia gets clipped just coming in but fires off a leg kick up top, three minutes to go. Lopes tags Garcia in the pocket - much better from him. Oh big right hand wobbles Garcia. Good inside leg kick by Lopes. Nice body shot by Garcia with just over a minute to go. Garcia fires off a head kick with just a few seconds to go - he is looking tidy right now. Strong start from Garcia as we head into round two.

Diego Lopes will be looking to get back to winning ways this evening after falling short in his second crack at the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski. The 145lb star has been a joy to watch every time he steps foot inside the octagon and is very much known for his ruthless finishing - hence with the UFC brass opted to place him on tonight's card. But standing across the other side of the cage from him is surging sensation Steve Garcia. The 34-year-old, also known for his knockout power, is unbeaten in his last seven fights and will be looking to produce a career-defining display in front of Trump.

Donald Trump - celebrating his 80th birthday - is now making his way cageside along with UFC supremo Dana White. I wonder how the US President is feeling right now. What a card we have ahead of us...

Eric Trump has denied asking Daniel Cormier if any of tonight's fights are fixed

It's the hottest ticket in town, and those lucky enough to be in attendance have taken to their seats early doors. The first fight should get underway in the next 30 minutes.

As coverage begins, we are just moments away from our first night of the night. And my word, the UFC are putting on a show right now. This will certainly be worth the wait!

After UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland claimed he was banned from the White House event, the American MMA veteran tried sneaking into the UFC 250 Freedon Fan Fest - and he succeeded, but only for a few moments. Strickland was quickly removed by security and escorted out.

He said he was NOT arrested, but claims he may be facing a disorderly conduct charge - which is a Class B misdemeanor in Washington, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and up to a $500 fine or both.

“I may have been charged with disorderly conduct. I don’t know what that is but it sounds cool,” Strickland said on Instagram. “Anyways, I just want to thank you fans. I can’t thank you guys enough. After being banned, you guys riding, supporting me, it means a lot to me.”

He wrote on Instagram: “Sorry you guys. “We almost made it! Promise one day, we will set up a circle and box. Thanks for your support.”

• 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

The fights will be shown on 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.

The official UFC White House broadcast will get underway in a matter of moments, but according to reports, the “official time for the first fight remains fluid”. That said, the UFC is still hoping to kick off the first fight at 2am UK time / 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET.

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland tried sneaking into the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest in Washington, but was quickly caught and escorted out by the police.

It comes just days after the contentious fighter claimed he's been prohibited from attending the UFC White House show

The 35-year-old is no stranger when it comes to speaking his mind and he recently took to social media to reveal that he's been banned from the event - claiming it stems from his criticism aimed at Trump and his relationship with and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

“UFC at the White House with [Benjamin Netanyahu] in the audience. Straight slop,” Strickland wrote on Instagram. “To be fair, they did ban me. But when you make fun of the leaders of America, they tend to be a little bit petty. By leaders, I mean Israel.”

He added: “The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by [Benjaimin Netanyahu]. That’s not public opinion, it’s fact.”

When asked what he said to be banned, the UFC champion replied: “I made fun of Israel and [Jeffrey] Epstein.” The American later issued a video in response to his claims that he has been banned from attending the White House event and he doubled down on his criticisms aimed at Trump.

"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 apologised but you're not Israeli enough to go to UFC 250 Israel Edition," he said.

"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 apologise 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 apologise because I don't want them to be prosecuted.

"When Trump goes and bombs the f*** 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 apologise. 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 apologise."

Former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler is now in the White House ahead of his mouthwatering clash with Mauricio Ruffy. The Brazilian is also here. Their contest will be the third of the evening.

Just before them, Bo Nickal will make his highly-anticipated return agains Kyle Daukaus. The pair arrived shortly before both Chandler and Ruffy.

Justin Gaethje is confident he WILL become the first man to topple Ilia Topuria and realise his dream of becoming a UFC champion. Tonight marks the American's third shot at undisputed glory - having failed in his two previous attempts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.

Both Gaethje and Topuria have clashed verbally these past few days, and the former was eager to send one final message to his rival during the final face-off.

“I was absolutely made for this shit right here,” Gaethje said. “I am blessed to be in this position that I am and I will take his ‘O’ from him tomorrow night. You watch.”

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. Neverthless, those lucky to be cageside will no doubt be in for a great night.

Around the corner, though, fans can enjoy the festivities and the fights at the official UFC Freedom 250 'Fan Fest.'

While the fights are not expected to get underway until 2am UK time - Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia have arrived at the White House just moments ago.

The two featherweight stars will open the showcase in a banger of a 145lb dust-up. Lopes will be looking to get back to winning ways after falling short in his last fight against Alexander Volkanovski for the title.

As for Garcia, the 34-year-old is unbeaten in his last seven fights and comes into the clash off the back of a knockout win over David Onama.

Tallison Teixeira has had the pleasure - or misfortune - of trading hard leather with Alex Pereira in recent time. The top heavyweight star has helped 'Poatan' in his transition from 205lb to the UFC's heaviest weight class. And after absorbing the odd blow or two, he has revealed exactly what it feels like to be punched in the face and has offered his prediction for tonight's clash.

Now, to your passionate UFC fan, of course, tonight's card will NOT be rigged. Rather silly to even suggest. However, some stunning scenes has emerged after Daniel Cormier revealed messages from Donald Trump's son, Eric. It's worth noting that the post has now been deleted.

But from Cormier's exchanges with Trump, the latter asked the former two-division UFC champion whether tonight's fights are 'rigged.' Trump began asking about predictions before the topic of 'rigged' fights came into play.

"I'll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I've been eyeing the (Diego) Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn't be too unrealistic," an alleged message read.

Contentious heavyweight star Josh Hokit has grabbed the headlines on multiple occasions throughout fight week after trading barbs with the likes of Derrick Lewis, Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira. But his antics did not end on Saturday morning during the official weigh-ins.

The undefeated fighter seemingly pretended to throw up on the scales - as some sort of sick-coloured liquid came dribbling from his mouth.

“So what? Maybe I was drinking last night,” he said. “Who wouldn’t be?

“I’ve got a giant man who wants to knock me out. He has the most knockouts in UFC history" - he added, referencing opponent Lewis.

Tempers flared at the pre-fight press conference earlier this week as Ilia Topuria SHOVED Justin Gaethje during the pre-fight face off. Both men were rather cordial with each other when the fight was first announced, but it seems the respect has gone out the window these last few weeks after Gaethje allegedly made a comment about Topuria's messy divorce.

And at the pre-fight press conference, the pair traded barbs before coming nose-to-nose. After a few insults were thrown, Topuria ended up pushing his rival.

"Look at this beautiful view, and you want to act like a f***ing animal? You're an emotional little animal," Gaethje said.

Speaking later on the Paramount+ broadcast, Topuria explained why he pushed Gaethje.

"I just told him don't come closer, and he told me, like, 'What, you're going to punch me?' And I was, like, 'Yeah.' And he came closer," hesaid. "I had to push him, because if I punch him, he's not going to be able to show up for the fight."

Ilia Topuria and Oleksandr Usyk bumped into each other last night while the Georgian-Spanish fighter was 'celebrating a win over Justin Gaethje' 24 hours before the actual fight.

'El Matador' famously threw a party a day before his win over Charles Oliveira last year, and has done the same again this time around. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And while Ilia was enjoying time with his inner circle, he met two-dvision undisputed champion Usyk. Imagine those two as a tag team pair - unstoppable!

Now, I know what you are all probably think 'Conor McGregor is not on the card tonight!' Yes, I am fully aware - but apparently the former two-division UFC champion will make some sort of appearance on the broadcast this evening.

According to the Irishman himself, he has recently filmed some sort of chat with UFC commentator Joe Rogan - which will be aired on tonight's showcase.

The 37-year-old is expected to make a sensational return to the cage next month against Max Holloway - headlining the International Fight Week card.

"I just completed a segment with @joerogan that will air on the @ufc broadcast tonight.

"Enjoy and good luck with the show! See you in Vegas," he wrote on social media.

In just a few hours, all of tonight's fighters will make their way to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and wrap up some last minute preparations before they make the walk to the cage.

Imagine being in the same room as Pereira...

A quick look at how tonight's cage will look. When Donald Trump announced plans to stage a UFC event on the grounds of the White House, it seemed like a pipedream.

But in just a few hours time, it's about to turn into a reality, and the UFC crew have done an exceptional job at getting everything ready.

Just look at the setting!

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the District of Columbia, parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia - which will be in effect until 11pm ET tonight!

Keep your eyes peeled, MMA fans...

Former two-division champion Alex Pereira is set to fight in the co-main event tonight against Ciryl Gane. Amid talk of the weather, the Brazilian took to social media to ease fans, saying that he feels "connected to nature" and that it's not going to rain at the UFC White House event tonight.

He said: "There's a lot of people talking about the weather... but listen here. You can all remain at ease because I've already connected to nature and it's not gonna rain. Chama."

The UFC has already advised attending the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest to “plan accordingly” due to expected inclement weather

“We anticipate inclement weather in the area, so attendees should plan accordingly. We will share additional information when available.”

And now, coverage has already been delayed - with the first fight now due to get underway at around 2am UK time.

In the build-up, a lot was made of the weather, as rain has been forecast over in Washington. But in the word of Dana White, the show must go on. But fans have already been hit with a major scare after it was confirmed that the broadcast will not actually start until 1am BST (8pm ET) with the first fight due to get underway at around 2am UK time.

It's going to be a long night for European fans...

Good evening and welcome to our live blog for the historic UFC White House card tonight. A little over 24 hours from Tommy Fury's triumph over Eddie Hall, we are back with some more action in the world of combat sports. It'll take some doing to top Ibiza Final Boss' fight of the year contender with Jordan McCann but I am sure some of tonight's athletes will give it a go.

That was a joke - obviously.

On Donald Trump's 80th birthday, rather than asking for something small, he has instead wished for something big - staging a UFC event on his front lawn. But we are here, and tonight promises to be a cracker.

Ilia Topuria will defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event, while Alex Pereira will face off with Ciryl Gane for the interim strap in the co-main event. It's going to be epic, so be sure to follow all of our coverage.