UFC White House odds, props, predictions, fight card: Freedom 250 picks, bets by proven MMA insider
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- UFC will stage its first-ever professional sporting event at the White House on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, erecting the Octagon on the South Lawn for a seven-bout UFC Freedom 250 card streamed on Paramount+.
- Ilia Topuria (17-0) defends the UFC Lightweight Championship as a -575 favorite over interim champion Justin Gaethje (27-5, +425), with Topuria ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound and Gaethje holding a four-inch height and three-inch leg-reach advantage.
- Alex Pereira (-102) meets Ciryl Gane (-118) in the co-main for the interim heavyweight title, while undercard favorites include Sean O'Malley (-440), Mauricio Ruffy (-700), and Bo Nickal (-355).
- SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani is backing Steve Garcia (+135) to upset Diego Lopes (-162) in the featherweight opener, citing Garcia's seven-fight win streak and six knockouts during that run, and touts another pick on a fighter he calls 'one of the smoothest strikers in his division's history.'
- Vithlani is up over $1,500 on UFC main-card picks since debuting in January 2023, with past underdog winners including Sean O'Malley (+210) over Aljamain Sterling and Dustin Poirier (+190) over Benoit Saint Denis.
Why it matters: Topuria can cement his case as an all-time great by extending his perfect record to 18-0 as a massive -575 favorite, while a 37-year-old Gaethje gets a career-defining shot at becoming the oldest undisputed UFC lightweight champion. UFC's move to Paramount+ eliminates pay-per-view for numbered events, making the South Lawn card the highest-profile showcase yet for the new distribution deal.
