UFC CEO Dana White has revealed the fight he really wanted to main event UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.

The event will take place outdoors on the South Lawn of the Washington DC property and it has been put together to celebrate both the 250th anniversary of the USA, as well as the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump.

The seven-fight card will feature two title bouts, with some major names in action.

UFC Freedom 250 Card Explored

In the evening’s main event, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will clash for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship, while the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the co-main event.

Topuria vs Gaethje is one of the biggest fights in the UFC today, while the interim heavyweight title bout will see Brazilian Alex Pereira looking to make history.

‘Poatan’ has already held UFC gold at middleweight and light heavyweight. If he can successfully defeat Ciryl Gane in their interim title tilt, though, he will become the only fighter in company history to win championship belts in three separate weight classes.

However, for as significant as the two top fights on the card are, Dana had originally planned a different main event for the show.

Dana White’s Original Plan For UFC Freedom 250 Main Event

Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the White House extravaganza, the veteran matchmaker admitted that his initial plan was for full UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall to defend his gold against Pereira.

The Brit hasn’t fought since being poked in the eye by Gane during their title fight at UFC 321 last October, with doctors still yet to clear him to return.

White revealed:

“100%. That would have been the fight if he (Aspinall) was healthy.

“Right now, a lot of our champions are hurt right now. So it’s kind of funky, there’s a lot of things you have to deal with when you’re making these matches, with timing and everything else going in everyone’s life, injuries. But yeah, it would have been Tom!”

Aspinall vs Pereira isn’t the only fight that the UFC were unable to book for the White House card, with Dana previously admitting that another planned title fight had “slipped away” from the company for the card.

Despite the event not being quite as stacked as the boss may have first envisioned, it is still sure to be one of the most significant nights in the 33-year history of the UFC.

Ian Wright has posted a passionate video on social media after Somalian referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States for the 2026 World Cup.

Artan, considered one of the best African officials in world football, was set to be the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals.

However, the 34-year-old was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and will now not officiate at this summer’s tournament.

FIFA said in a statement: “Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

“Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

Ian Wright Reacts to Omar Artan being Denied Entry

Arsenal legend Wright has taken to social media to express his frustration after seeing the story. In a video posted on TikTok, he said:

“Every few hours it’s another story. Another story about fans denied, players denied, officials denied, journalists denied now refs? I’m laughing but it’s not funny. It’s actually not funny, something has to be said.

“Expensive tickets, expensive accommodation, transport through the roof. Is this how the hosts behave for the greatest game, greatest tournament in the world? How are we not hearing more?”

“Is this the spirit of football? Really? You know who I feel for – I feel for the American fans who are desperate for this. How embarrassed they must be. How embarrassing for them this must be.

“This is a World Cup of chaos. Whoever wins this World Cup will have to go through some serious chaos to get it done. I hope we [England can do it, but something has to be said. This is the World Cup!”

Omar Artan Speaks Out After Being Denied Entry to the US

Artan has released a statement after his dream of officiating at a World Cup was taken away. He said:

“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

Artan was one of eight referees to be selected by CAF to officiate in the competition. It is currently unclear who will replace him.

The Octagon girl outfits for the UFC Freedom 250 event have been revealed to much online criticism.

The UFC Freedom 250 card is set to be part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the United States’ Independence and will take place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC.

As preparations are well underway for Sunday’s card, the reveal of the outfits has faced much criticism online.

One critic of the outfits said: “Perfectly tacky and on brand.”

Another noted: “I couldn’t care less about the Octagon girls, but these outfits are so stupid.”

However, the clothing received some plaudits online, with one UFC fan saying: “UFC went full patriotic mode and the Octagon girls delivered perfectly. Most iconic fight week setup ever.”

While the UFC Octagon girl outfits have faced jeers online, the whole event has been embroiled in controversy as a lawsuit has been filed to label it “unlawful” in an attempt to stop it from going ahead.

Lawsuit Filed About UFC White House Event

The lawsuit was filed by the Public Integrity Project, a self-described anti-corruption law firm based in Washington and is led by former democrat senator Russ Feingold.

The group is arguing that Trump and the UFC believe they do not need to apply for a permit to use the National Mall as a part of the event, conduct an environmental review, or receive approval to build the stage on the South Lawn, because the event is a part of the anniversary celebrations.

If the event does go ahead as planned and expected, the card is set to have some blockbuster clashes, with the UFC claiming the fight night is “the most impressive collection of fights put together by the promotion since UFC 300, with every match-up carrying divisional significance.”

UFC Freedom 250

The UFC Freedom 250 card features Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje topping the bill for the undisputed lightweight title. The former moved up to the lightweight division last year and knocked out Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt. He is not just putting his title on the line, either, but also his 17-0 undefeated record.

Elsewhere, Alex Pereira will be looking to make history by winning the interim heavyweight title and become the first person to win UFC gold in three weight divisions. He will be taking on a tough challenge in Ciryl Gane for the title, who has been a staple in the heavyweight division since 2021, with infamous clashes with Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall.