This Sunday, the UFC holds the unique UFC White House event, also known as UFC Freedom 250. In an action-packed card, two titles are on the line, and many important contender fights.
Heavy.com sat down with former UFC heavyweight contender and now analyst for Eurosport Nederland, Stefan Struve. We asked the big Dutchman his thoughts about the White House card and a breakdown of all the fights in this event.
Stefan Struve Thinks It Is A Massive Achievement For The Sport
“I absolutely can’t wait for this event. People keep discussing fights that aren’t on this card, but I prefer to talk about the fights that are actually going to happen at this event. Those are all great match-ups with some of the currently best fighters in the world. It’s unique that it will be at the White House. Something that would’ve never happened a couple of years ago. I can’t wait for it to happen. I’ve fought myself in Washington twice, but obviously never at the White House. I think it is very positive for the sport. Obviously, there is a political side to it as well, but I think we have talked about that enough already. It’s a massive stage for the sport and an unbelievable achievement,” Struve exclusively told Heavy.com.
[ UFC Freedom 250 is presented by @CryptoCom and @RamTrucks ]
“Obviously, if I were still competing, I would have loved to fight on this card. I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere at the event. I also heard that the US military was invited, which would be awesome. I was always a massive fan of the UFC’s old ‘Fight for the Troops’ events. There are going to be a lot of celebrity guests in the audience, so I’m really curious to see how it all plays out. Obviously, as a fighter, you love competing in front of massive crowds. This might feel a bit different, but it’s going to be highly unique.”
The White House Fights
We also asked Struve to break down every single fight on the card. In total, there are five three-round fights and two five-round title fights.
Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia
“This is such a fun fight to open up the card with. The styles of both guys against each other will be amazing to watch. Both guys are known for their action fights and are always in great fights. I expect chaos in this fight. For Garcia, this is a massive opportunity to show that he is part of the elite in the division. And for Lopes its an opportunity to show that he is still top 5 in the division. Definitely, after those two losses against Alexander Volkanovski, he has to remind people that he is still one of the elite guys in the division.”
Winner: Diego Lopes
Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
“I think Kyle Daukaus is one of the names many people didn’t expect to be on this card. For Bo Nickal, it is pretty much the other way around. He always said he wanted to be on this card to fight in front of the president. He is a top-level American wrestler. Daukaus came back to the UFC and has done pretty well. I’m just wondering if we’re gonna see Nickal, who puts on the pressure and fights with urgency. In the past, we have seen him being hesitant in fights. If he is going to take risks, Daukaus might surprise him with his striking or even his solid chokes on the ground. But to be fair, I don’t expect many problems in this fight for Nickal.”
Winner: Bo Nickal
Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
“Yes, this fight is one that people have talked about for some time. Personally, I expected the UFC to give Michael Chandler a different opponent. I have been impressed by Mauricio Ruffy so far, particularly with his distance management in fights. Obviously, against Benoît Saint Denis, he didn’t show up. I think he’s a really special fighter who will give Chandler a lot of trouble. I also wonder if this is going to be the final fight in Chandler’s career. He started amazing in the UFC but couldn’t really live up to the expectations. Nonetheless, I expect Chandler to put on a great fight. He wanted to be on this card to represent his country. He will definitely bring the fire.”
Winner: Mauricio Ruffy
Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
“This is a really interesting fight. Josh Hokit put himself on the radar after that amazing win against Curtis Blaydes recently. The fans didn’t really know what to expect before the fight. Like him or not, people want to see this guy fight. I’m personally not a fan of his antics inside and outside the cage, but an amazing fighter, very athletic, and a great addition to the heavyweight division. He has to make sure he doesn’t get hit as much as he did against Blaydes when he fights Derrick Lewis. Lewis obviously is a different fighter than Blaydes and really leans on his one-punch knockout power. That’s why I expect Hokit to fight a bit smarter and differently. Lewis is on the card because President Trump specifically asked for him. That is amazing, of course, and very special.”
Winner: Josh Hokit
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
“Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi is a fun match-up on paper. I think the UFC chose to put a striker against O’Malley after seeing him struggle in those fights with Merab Dvalishvili. Also, the Song Yadong fight wasn’t very convincing. I expected it to be a good match-up between two strikers. O’Malley definitely will try to show that he is still one of the top dogs in the division. And a win might put him into a title fight against Petr Yan, whom he beat before with a controversial decision.”
Winner: Sean O’Malley
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
“Oh my god, Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane is a top-notch booking. Gane has never lost to someone in pure striking. He struggled in his rematch against Alexander Volkov, but still managed to get the win. It’s incredibly difficult to put pressure on Gane because of his movement on his feet. For me, he is the best heavyweight of all time when it comes to how quickly he moves in the Octagon. He is very quick, and we also see Pereira having difficulties with that fighting style against Khalil Rountree Jr. The question is obviously whether Pereira can win his debut at heavyweight and get into the history books by winning a third title in a different weight class. Will he fight champion Tom Aspinall later this year? I really can’t wait. An amazing match-up between two world-class fighters. I really want to see how Pereira looks at heavyweight, but I expect him to have a really difficult fight against Gane. Although with Pereira, everything can change with one punch, so you never know.”
Winner: Ciryl Gane
Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
“For the main event, I’m so happy Ilia Topuria is back. A once-in-a-lifetime athlete who we haven’t seen fight for some time. Personally, I would’ve loved to see him fight Islam Makhachev or Arman Tsarukyan, but I am also looking forward to seeing him fight Justin Gaethje, who really fought well in his most recent fight against Paddy Pimblett. Gaethje has always been a spectacular fighter and fought many wars. It would be smart not to get into wild exchanges with Topuria because of the knockout power he possesses. I wonder if Topuria can continue his streak and make his words come true again. An amazing opportunity for Topuria to keep the streak going and for Gaethje, probably his final opportunity to get the undisputed title around his waist. As said earlier, I was initially hoping for someone else to fight Topuria, but I still think this is a great match-up and an amazing main event.”
Winner: Ilia Topuria
UFC Freedom 250 streams live on Sunday at 8 pm ET on Paramount+.
Stefan Struve Breaks Down UFC White House Event: Exclusive