President Donald Trump thought enough of heavyweight Derrick Lewis to secure his place on the card at the White House. He’ll be fighting Josh Hokit, a polarizing heavyweight, in what could be one of the most entertaining fights of the night at the White House.
But it doesn’t deserve to be ranked the No.1. (Sorry, Mr. President.)
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The main event doesn’t deserve to be ranked No. 1, either.
There are seven fights in all, and don’t bother ranking them in order of entertainment value. We’re going to do it for you – with a big assist from Bob Perez, the trainer for Derrick Lewis.
No. 1: Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane, interim heavyweight title fight
Pereira is moving up to heavyweight for the first time and is trying to become the first fighter in UFC history to win a third division title.
Pereira, a 6-foot-4 Brazilian, fought last at 204 pounds. But now he reportedly weighs at least 240 pounds. So expect the stalking Brazilian to be as effective as ever with powerful fists, not to mention his dangerous leg kicks.
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Cyril, the 6-4, 240-pound Frenchman, won’t be easy to catch. He’s a natural heavyweight, but he’s strikingly mobile. He has power, too, but enough to match Pereira’s? Let the slugging begin.
Topuria is arguably the best fighter in the UFC. But Gaethje will approach this fight fearlessly.
Topuria throws masterfully, landing clean shots. He can wrestle too. Gaethje’s skill set is not at the same level. But he’ll try to turn the fight into a back-alley brawl – and perhaps succeed.
No. 3: Lewis vs. Hokit, heavyweight
At first glance, it’ll look like a mismatch. Hokit is 6-1 and about 230 pounds. Lewis is 6-3 and about 265 pounds.
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But Hokit is coming off an epic victory over Curtis Blaydes. And if this fight if as bloody as Hokit’s last one, it’ll be a bad idea for Trump to sit cage side. The outcome likely will be determined by Hokit’s hand speed vs. Lewis’ punching power.
No. 4. Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia, featherweight
This could be rock ’em sock ‘em robots. Garcia stalks his opponents and punishes them with serious power. Lopes can inflict punishment with striking too, and he has the edge in experience.
No. 5: Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi, bantamweight
O’Malley has the signature, colorfully dyed hair, but it’s something else that will get Zahabi’s attention. O’Malley is a dynamic striker with a long reach.
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Zahabi possesses sound, technical boxing skills. But O’Malley’s punches could cause significantly more damage, not to mention his creative kicks.
No. 6: Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler, lightweight
At 40, Chandler has a serious age gap to overcome against the 29-year-old Ruffy. He might be able to go toe-to-toe, but it’ll be interesting to see if he eventually tries to take Ruffy down and hold off the younger man with superior wrestling skills.
Ruffy, a former Fighting Nerd, has given up membership to the goofy-glasses-wearing group. Time to assess the effect.
No. 7: Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus, middleweight
This fight could devolve into a 15-minute wrestling match. Will etiquette allow for booing on the South Lawn of the White House?
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How to watch the UFC Freedom 250 event
The UFC Freedom 250 event will be held on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, June 14. It will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
UFC Freedom 250 full card
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Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, lightweight title bout
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Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane, heavyweight interim title bout
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Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis, heavyweight
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Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy, lightweight
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFC Freedom 250: White House fights ranked from best to worst
