Three days after the UFC announced the six-fight Freedom 250 card for its historic June 14, 2026, White House event—headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje and co-headed by Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane—reactions have intensified. Fighters like Jon Jones and Colby Covington voiced exclusions and matchmaking gripes, while Ronda Rousey and Jake Paul slammed UFC pay post a major TV deal, fueling broader discontent despite praise for the title bouts.
As detailed in prior coverage of the UFC Freedom 250 announcement, the six-fight card features lightweight title unification (Topuria vs. Gaethje), interim heavyweight title (Pereira vs. Gane), plus Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia, Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus, Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler, and Sean O'Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi.
MMA media reactions range from A to C grades. Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting called it 'Overpromised and Underdelivered' yet a 'great card with two intriguing title fights.' Mike Heck said fans are 'pissed off, and the UFC doesn’t care,' and Jed Meshew labeled it 'deeply, deeply disappointing' against historic hype.
Kamaru Usman decried disrespect to Gaethje, a +350 underdog: 'It’s crazy, these odds... I just feel the disrespect is there.' Trump supporter Colby Covington slammed the 'piss-poor' card for lacking top American fighters and his own spot. Recently unretired Jon Jones, snubbed despite lobbying, requested a contract release after a 'lowballed' offer; Dana White insisted Jones was never considered due to hip issues.
Ilia Topuria claimed Islam Makhachev pulled from a potential bout via injury, with Makhachev firing back that Topuria 'chickened out.'
Controversy extended to pay: Ronda Rousey, after UFC's $7.7 billion Paramount deal, argued, 'There’s no reason that they can’t afford to pay their athletes at least a living wage.' Jake Paul proclaimed, 'I believe the UFC is dying and MVP is here to take over.' Despite backlash, the card's action potential and unprecedented venue keep excitement alive.
