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Ilia Topuria

Earlier today, President Donald Trump invited a couple of UFC superstars to the Oval Office to promote the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event.

On June 14th, a special UFC event will take place on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States and Trump’s 80th birthday. Trump invited the four fighters who will compete for titles in the card’s co-main and main event.

Trump Says It Will Be The Biggest Show On Earth

In the main event, Ilia Topuria puts his lightweight title on the line against interim champion Justin Gaethje. Earlier that night in the co-main event, Alex Pereira fights for a third title in a different weight class against Ciryl Gane. That fight is for the interim heavyweight championship. All fighters were introduced to the media by Trump, who said he is a big fan of each of them and sees them as true warriors.

Trump also unveiled a specially designed belt for the event featuring an American Flag and the “Freedom” branding. The President also showed renderings of the temporary 4,000-seat outdoor arena to be built on the South Lawn. There will be eight big screens set up near the Ellipse where approximately 100,000 people can watch the event for free. The President said that it will be the greatest show on earth.

The four fighters thanked the President for the opportunity to fight during the event. Trump said he is a big fan of the sport itself and all the fighters. Champion Topuria had a fun, small encounter with Trump. After Trump called Gaethje a good friend, Topuria asked him why he would want to give his friend the toughest test of his career. Gaethje chimed in, saying that’s exactly what he wants. Trump said with a smile that he wants everybody to have their toughest test.

A Once In A Lifetime Event

Besides the two titlefights, there are five more fights on the UFC Freedom 250 event. In the featured fight, former UFC bantamweight champion and fan favorite Sean O’Malley takes on Aiemann Zahabi in an unofficial top-contender fight. The winner of the fight hopes to challenge champion Petr Yan later this year. Also, Josh Hokit got a spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card. The brash heavyweight takes on knockout recordholder Derrick Lewis, a personal favorite of President Trump.

Also, former title challenger Michael Chandler is a personal favorite of Trump. He is fighting the Brazilian sensation Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight fight. Just like Chandler, Bo Nickal was also rumored for a long time to be on the card. Nickal takes on Kyle Daukaus in a middleweight encounter between two guys who are aiming for a spot in the top 15. The opening fight on the card might be the biggest banger on paper. Former two-time title challenger Diego Lopes takes on brutal finisher Steve Garcia in a featherweight clash.

UFC Freedom 250 – June 14th

• Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
• Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
• Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
• Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
• Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
• Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
• Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia