A much-loved UFC fighter has been urged to ‘wrap up’ his career after losing at the White House during UFC Freedom 250.

The landmark event on the South Lawn of the Washington DC property boasted a seven-fight card, with every bout ending inside the distance.

Justin Gaethje stunned Ilia Topuria in the main event to end a career-long wait to claim undisputed lightweight gold, delivering the Georgian-Spaniard his first career loss.

The UFC White House Card Saw Some Career-Defining Results

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Elsewhere, there was a devastating stoppage defeat for Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira, who fell short in his bid to become a three-weight world champion in his interim UFC heavyweight title fight with Ciryl Gane.

Despite the big setbacks they were dealt at the White House, both Topuria and Pereira are expected to be able to come back and be competitive at championship level again, though.

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However, other beaten fighters on the card have a lot more to think about following their losses.

Heavyweight veteran Derrick Lewis lost to rising star Josh Hokit in the second round of their clash at Freedom 250. The 41-year-old slugger has now lost two consecutive fights by stoppage and looked particularly ineffective against Hokit. Some have already called for ‘The Black Beast’ to consider his future after his defeat on Sunday.

‘Wrap It Up” – UFC Veteran Begged to Consider Retirement After Freedom 250

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For one losing fighter on the show, though, UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes the end of the road has already arrived.

After his defeat at the hands of Mauricio Ruffy at the White House, former lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler has now lost six of his last eight fights inside the Octagon.

Even more concerningly, he has lost three of his last four bouts inside the distance. At UFC Freedom 250 against Ruffy, Chandler looked particularly ineffective.

There were rumours leading into the card that Chandler may hang up his gloves if he lost the fight, although ‘Iron Mike’ has made no comment on his future in the aftermath of his defeat.

Sonnen, though, was quick to take to Twitter/X and advise Chandler to call time on his career.

“Great career. Let’s wrap it up,” begged Sonnen.

Chandler debuted in the UFC in January 2021, but has only won a single fight since his opening night victory over Dan Hooker. He was slated to fight Irish Superstar Conor McGregor in June 2024, before that fight fell apart due to injury.

Ever since, Chandler has insisted that he still believes that the McGregor fight could happen for him in the future. However, after such a poor run of form, it may be in his best interests to step away from the Octagon as Sonnen has suggested.

Aston Villa are reportedly ready to spend big in order to sign a Manchester United star in the summer transfer window.

Aston Villa and Manchester United have had multiple dealings over the last few years in terms of transfers. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have both spent spells on loan at Villa Park from United, but neither player was signed permanently after their temporary moves.

Both Sancho and Rashford endured inconsistent spells at Villa, although they did show signs of being smart additions for the Midlands club.

It’s now an important summer transfer window approaching for Villa as they look to build a squad capable of competing in the Champions League.

Aston Villa Plot Big Deal

According to a report from Sports Boom, Aston Villa are interested in signing Manchester United forward Rashford in the summer transfer window.

It is believed that Villa are prepared to spend big to land the England international, with Unai Emery identifying him as a leading target.

Emery believes Rashford has what it takes to elevate them to the next level, and he looks increasingly likely to leave Old Trafford this summer.

Rashford, described as outstanding by former Liverpool goalkeeper David James, spent last season on loan at Barcelona, but they opted against signing him on a permanent deal.

One deterrent for Villa could be his reported £325,000-a-week salary, so he may have to reduce his wage demands.

Rashford Offers Something Different for Villa

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Rashford offers something Villa do not currently have in wide areas. The Manchester United forward is a player who loves to run in behind, stretch the defence, and stay out wide.

Emery often uses wide players who drift into central areas, but Rashford is a different profile that can be hugely beneficial in certain games.

Emery could certainly do with having some of the profile of Rashford in Europe, especially when coming up against stronger sides who are likely to dominate possession.

Rashford is deadly in transition, and that could be a key reason why Villa are pushing to secure his signature.

There has already been so much to talk about regarding the 2026 World Cup. On the pitch, Lionel Messi showed there’s still magic in his boots as he bagged a hat-trick for Argentina vs Algeria, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino has regularly made negative headlines with his behaviour behind the scenes.

Geopolitical issues also continue to cause concern, with Iran players forced to leave the United States immediately after their 2-2 draw with New Zealand, as they had to fly back to Mexico just two hours after the final whistle. Adding to the chaos, it’s now been revealed that a World Cup star was recently ‘arrested over match-fixing offences’.

The man in question is Ivory Coast footballer Elye Wahi.

Elye Wahi via Reuters/Kyle Ross

As per The Athletic, Wahi was arrested on suspicion of match-fixing offences less than two weeks before the World Cup began. The report adds that, sources with knowledge of events, who have spoken anonymously as they are not authorised to do so publicly, confirmed the 23-year-old is the subject of an active investigation, which is seeking to establish whether the Ivory Coast star, while playing for his club side Nice, deliberately earned a yellow card against Metz on 17 May.

The practice of manipulating events within a game is known as spot-fixing. Wahi received a yellow card in the 35th minute after a late tackle on Metz defender Sadibou Sane. Moments before that, he had committed another foul, sliding in on full-back Bouna Sarr, but avoided a yellow card.

Thanks to the booking, his first of the season at that point, the Nice player was suspended for the first leg of Nice’s relegation play-off against Saint-Etienne on 26 May. He watched from the stands as the game ended 0-0, before then playing in the second leg and scoring two goals as his side won 4-1 to avoid Ligue 1 relegation.

On the same day as his Man of the Match display, 29 May, anti-corruption specialists in the French police arrested Wahi. However, he has not been charged with any crime as the investigation continues.

Statement Made As Wahi Plays at World Cup Amid Spot-Fixing Investigation

Despite that, Wahi has remained part of the Ivory Coast team competing in the US at the World Cup this summer and even started for the Ivory Coast in their opening 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia, hitting the bar in the second half. Ivory Coast’s next game is against Germany in Toronto on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office has made a statement, telling The Athletic on Tuesday:

According to multiple anonymous sources with knowledge of the case, the French police probe began after the Ligue de Football Professionnel (the governing body that runs the domestic game in France) ‘received several notifications of suspicious betting patterns’ in Nice’s Ligue 1 fixture against Metz, involving wagers on Wahi to receive a yellow card.

The footballer only changed allegiance to the Ivory Coast in March this year, having represented France, where he was born, at youth level.