The UFC Freedom 250 spectacle is officially set to kick off, as the promotion announced on Monday. The card is headlined by Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, who will clash in a lightweight unification bout. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira will make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane, as the pair collide for the interim heavyweight belt. And there’s more!

10 other fighters are set to fill out the White House card, set to unfold on the White House lawn on June 14. And weeks ahead of the historic event, the premier MMA promotion has announced that all the fighters from the event will gather for an on-stage press conference to field questions and face off before the event kicks off next month. 

“Bring on them fightin’ words 🎤,” UFC wrote on X. “Watch the #UFCWhiteHouse press conference May 8 at 5pmET!”

Fighters are expected to share their thoughts about competing in the biggest MMA event in the country’s history, their opponents, and more. Fireworks are expected to go off as fighters start the entertainment early with trash talk and promises of grandeur. The presser is set to take place at Prudential Center at 5 p.m. ET, before the UFC 328 ceremonial weigh-ins. 

UFC 328, of course, headlines Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland in New Jersey. And with the significant amount of spotlight UFC 328 has received, thanks to the heated rivalry between Chimaev and Strickland, it’s the best time for the UFC to promote the Freedom 250 card. However, there could be some bad news regarding the White House event. 

Dana White has explained how the UFC White House card could be rescheduled

Nobody wants the event to be postponed, but the bitter reality is that it could be. And UFC CEO Dana White has explained why. Ahead of the event, White made it clear that flexibility is key. While the card is expected to go ahead in most scenarios, lightning remains the one factor that could force a delay or adjustment.

“I hate outdoors—outdoors is just way too unpredictable,” White said. “If it rains, we’re going. If it snows, we’re going. The only thing that will stop us is lightning.”

To manage this, the UFC is working closely with the military and weather specialists. They will be receiving constant updates in the lead-up to the event. This allows them to react quickly if conditions become unsafe.

“The only thing that kills us is lightning. So, we can move the event two hours earlier or two hours later.” 

With a shorter seven-fight card planned, the UFC has built-in flexibility to adapt if needed. But hopefully, that plan won’t need to be executed. 

With that in the back of your head, get ready to be thoroughly entertained later this month as the UFC Freedom 250 madness kicks off. Are you looking forward to the presser?