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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight fighters Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje face off with UFC CEO Dana White during a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial ahead of the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. UFC Freedom 250 will take place this Sunday, June 14th. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)

Ilia Topuria puts his UFC lightweight championship on the line against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. The event takes place on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, and steams live on Paramount+.

Topuria and Gaethje were cordial and respectful toward each other at the first UFC Freedom 250 press conference. However, that was not the case at the pre-fight press conference, where ‘El Matador’ shoved ‘The Highlight’ during their faceoff.

The main event marks Topuria’s first lightweight title defense. He won the vacant title after knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.

Although ‘El Matador’ won the title last June, an interim championship bout was booked at UFC 324. Topuria took a brief hiatus to attend to personal matters, so the promotion booked Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett to headline its first event on Paramount+. ‘The Highlight’ earned a unanimous decision victory to become to set the stage for a title unification bout.

UFC Freedom 250: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje Betting Odds

Ilia Topuria stands as a sizable favorite over Justin Gaethje on the latest UFC Freedom 250 betting lines.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Topuria enters at -560 to retain his lightweight title. A $20 wager on ‘El Matador’ to win would return a total payout of $23.57.

Gaethje, the interim lightweight champion, sits at +370. A $20 wager on him to pull off a massive upset would yield a total payout of $94. That number may be much more enticing for bettors who believe ‘The Highlight’ can win the striking exchanges.

Oddsmakers are expecting a short bout. Topuria is favored to win by KO/TKO at -210.

Like ‘El Matador,’ Gaethje’s most likely path to victory is by KO/TKO, which is listed at +550. The fight not going the distance is listed at -1200. In contrast, the fight going the distance is set at +670.

The total rounds prop sits at only -1.5 rounds. Both the over and under are set at -112.

Full Card Betting Odds for UFC White House Event

Beyond the lightweight title unification bout between Topuria and Gaethje, UFC Freedom 250 features a strong card.

In featherweight action, No. 2 ranked Diego Lopes faces Steve Garcia in the opening bout. Lopes enters as a slight -148 favorite, while Garcia stands at +120.

Heavyweights clash as Josh Hokit aims to push closer to a title shot when he takes on Derrick Lewis. ‘The Incredible Hok’ is a polarizing figure because of his persona, but proved that he can back up his trash talk.

Hokit enters as a -420 favorite, while Lewis sits at +310.

In middleweight action, Bo Nickal aims to extend his winning streak against Kyle Daukaus. Nickal enters as a sizeable -320 favorite, while Daukaus enters as a +245 underdog.

Lightweights clash as Mauricio Ruffy takes on former Bellator champion Michael Chandler. Ruffy enters as the biggest betting favorite on the card at -700. Chandler, meanwhile, stands at +470.

Sean O’Malley returns to the octagon to face Aiemann Zahabi in a high stakes bantamweight bout. O’Malley and Zahabi will add a unique chapter to the U.S. vs. Canada sports rivalry at the White House.

‘Suga’ enters as a sizeable -430 favorite, while Zahabi stands at +320.

The co-main features an interim heavyweight title clash between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira. According to oddsmakers, this bout is the closest on the card, as both stand at -110. ‘Poatan’ has a chance to make history by becoming the first-ever three-division UFC champion should he defeat Gane.