{"id":729089,"date":"2026-06-11T05:10:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T05:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/729089\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T05:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T05:10:14","slug":"ufc-freedom-250s-best-betting-props-parlays-and-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/729089\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Freedom 250\u2019s best betting props, parlays and picks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-white-house-2026-fight-card-start-time-full-results-dana-white-conor-mcgregor-cbs-mma\/427538\/ufc-white-house-fight-card-start-time-date-and-location-freedom-250\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">UFC Freedom 250<\/a> is live this weekend (Sun., June 14, 2026) on the White House lawn of all places and it\u2019s streaming on <a href=\"https:\/\/paramountplus.qflm.net\/c\/482924\/175360\/3065?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2Fcollections%2Fufc&amp;partnerpropertyid=7032191\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Paramount+<\/a>. There\u2019s been a lot of talk about this thing and it finally seems to be here\u2026 so long as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-white-house-2026-fight-card-start-time-full-results-dana-white-conor-mcgregor-cbs-mma\/449078\/preliminary-injunction-filed-to-stop-deeply-corrupt-ufc-freedom-fights-from-going-ahead-on-white-house-lawn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">lawsuit<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-white-house-2026-fight-card-start-time-full-results-dana-white-conor-mcgregor-cbs-mma\/449277\/will-ufc-white-house-get-canceled-bookies-set-odds-on-wonky-weather-federal-lawsuit\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">lightning storm<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-white-house-2026-fight-card-start-time-full-results-dana-white-conor-mcgregor-cbs-mma\/446446\/joe-rogan-is-stressed-out-about-ufc-white-house-event-how-are-you-gonna-stop-the-bugs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">plague of gnats<\/a> doesn\u2019t stop it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The special seven fight card is headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje in a UFC Lightweight re-unification bout. The fight was a banger on paper, but there\u2019s been<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-white-house-2026-fight-card-start-time-full-results-dana-white-conor-mcgregor-cbs-mma\/449213\/ilia-topuria-vs-justin-gaethje-war-of-words-continues-ahead-of-ufc-white-house-im-gonna-break-you\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> plenty of animosity<\/a> lately and that has added a new level of spiciness to the bout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The co-main event is Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight title. Though, would anyone be surprised if UFC just turned this into the undisputed belt and left Tom Aspinall <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/latest-news\/448714\/what-are-you-gonna-do-dana-white-wont-force-tom-aspinall-to-fight-if-eddie-hearn-holds-ufc-champion-out-video\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">on the bench indefinitely?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Rounding out this historic card is Sean O\u2019Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi, Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis, Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus, Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler and Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">As always, there\u2019s lots to bet on this card and we\u2019ve got odds for all the fights below:<\/p>\n<p>UFC Freedom 250 Main Card Money Line Odds<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2274870965.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3707\" data-pswp-width=\"5560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: (L-R) Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje pose on the South Lawn in front of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2274870965.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; MAY 06: (L-R) Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje pose on the South Lawn in front of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Ilia Topuria (-500) vs. Justin Gaethje (+380)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I\u2019m going to start this column off with a massive buyer beware warning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This is a highly unusual event and there are all kinds of things that could factor into how these fights end up going on the night. These fighters may have to deal with extreme heat, bothersome bugs, slippery surfaces and potential rain\/lightning delays. It might also just feel weird for fighters, who are used to the pretty sterile and predictable surroundings of the APEX or somewhere like the T-Mobile Arena.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I\u2019m going to largely avoid this event, personally, because I just don\u2019t know how much any of those conditions are going to effect what we see on fight night. For the purpose of this article, though, I\u2019m going to pick things based mostly on how I would be thinking about these fights if they was happening at a regular fight night. I think that\u2019s better than assuming one guy might have more jitters than another guy or that one guy is more irked by gnats than another.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">When it comes to our main event, there are other intangibles at play, too. However, these are your more garden variety intangibles that we see in MMA. The biggest and most important one is the lay-off for Topuria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">El Matador hasn\u2019t fought since June 28, 2025. That\u2019s when he wrecked Charles Oliveira (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/6\/29\/24457988\/full-fight-video-highlights-ilia-topuria-vs-charles-oliveira-ufc-317-results-knockout-ppv-pimblett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). That win came eight months after he wrecked Max Holloway (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2024\/10\/26\/24280061\/watch-full-fight-highlights-results-espn-abu-dhabi-ilia-topuria-max-holloway-ufc-308-knockout\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). And that came six months after he wrecked Alex Volkanovski (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2024\/2\/18\/24075892\/full-fight-video-highlights-ufc-298-results-ppv-espn-anaheim-volkanovski-knockout-topuria\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). The man\u2019s a wrecking machine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">He\u2019s sliced through the UFC roster like a hot knife through butter and rarely looked in any kind of trouble whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Gaethje opened the Paramount+ era for us in January, by battering Paddy Pimblett to win the interim title. He did that as a +200 underdog. Before that he took a pretty comfortable decision over Rafael Fiziev (a short notice replacement for Dan Hooker). Those are Gaethje\u2019s only fights since his epic KO loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Everyone and their cousin seems to think Topuria is going to knock Gaethje out in the first round. That\u2019s why the odds on this are so short on Topuria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I can certainly see the logic in that. Gaethje is getting up there and his tendency to leave his chin open and get into fire fights is not aging well. Topuria is one of the most deadliest snipers we\u2019ve seen, ever, in the cage. So no one will be surprised to see Gaethje go down like Oliveira, Holloway and Volkanovski did before him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Gaethje will have a lot of size on Topuria, but only one inch of reach. Topuria was able to KO Oliveira despite having a five inch reach disparity there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I\u2019m not going to advise anyone to bet against Topuria doing what we\u2019ve seen him do repeatedly during his UFC career, but I do think it would be unwise to completely count out Gaethje. He won as an underdog before and he has a spirit and character to him that makes you believe he could rise to an occasion and defy some pretty weighty odds. I personally wouldn\u2019t use that kind of metric for my own bets, but I think it\u2019s worth considering that narrative along with suspicions of Topuria being over-confident and a little rusty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">If you think Topuria is winning this thing by strikes, then there\u2019s not much out there worth betting on. Topuria -5.5 is still only -525. Topuria by KO\/TKO\/DQ is just -225. Topuria by KO\/TKO\/DQ in round 1 is only +200.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">From a purely value perspective, I\u2019m going with over 1.5 for my best bet. It\u2019s -110 and I think Gaethje\u2019s toughness might see him get through a round or two (just like Holloway and Volkanovski did). We might also see a slow start from Topuria due to the long lay-off. And, there might also be rain or bug delays, that ruin the flow of the fight and makes things drag on.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-110)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2274871041.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2795\" data-pswp-width=\"4192\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: Alex Pereira looks on from the balcony of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2274871041.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; MAY 06: Alex Pereira looks on from the balcony of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Alex Pereira (-110) vs. Cyril Gane (-110)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Pereira moves up to the Heavyweight division this weekend to try and become a champion in a record three divisions. Win or lose, Pereira has already earned UFC Hall of Fame status for a speedrun that started in just 2021 and has seen him fight 12 times and win six title fights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">His last bout was a first round TKO over Magomed Ankalaev (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-320-ankalaev-vs-pereira-rematch-start-time-full-results-espn-mma\/394054\/highlights-alex-pereira-shuts-up-the-doubters-annihilates-magomed-ankalaev-in-a-minute-at-ufc-320\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>) last October. That win, which claimed back his Light Heavyweight title, was a rematch after his decision loss to Anakalaev seven months earlier. Pereira had won five fights in a row prior to that upset and earned himself the reputation for one of the most active UFC champions ever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Gane\u2019s last bout was in October, too. That\u2019s when he treated Tom Aspinall\u2019s head like a bowling bowl and forced a no contest. Gane \u2018earned\u2019 his opportunity to maul Aspinall by getting a split decision over Alexander Volkov. That decision, at UFC 310 in December 2024, was one of the worst judging decisions we\u2019ve seen in the past few years. Before that robbery Gane won a very clean fight against Serghei Spivac, stopping him in the second round (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2023\/9\/2\/23856594\/full-fight-video-highlights-ciryl-gane-vs-sergey-spivak-ufc-paris-results-espn-knockout\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This is a coin flip with the odds and it\u2019s a coin flip for me, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I faded Pereira in his last fight, worrying that his activity rate, age and side quests would catch up to him. And I was completely wrong. He\u2019s not gotten younger since, then, but he has slowed his roll. We\u2019re not seeing him as exposed as he was during that LHW title reign. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any reason to question his focus for this one. And, at 38, that\u2019s not senior citizen territory in MMA, especially at Heavyweight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Gane is 36. And he\u2019s massive. He\u2019s the same height as Pereira, but he is a lot thicker. He weighed in at 247 lbs for his last fight. If there is any clinching or, God forbid, wrestling, than that size and strength advantage should be evident. I\u2019m not sure if we\u2019re seeing that on Sunday, though. I think we\u2019re going to see a pitched battle with both men slinging their power shots at each other and seeing who goes down first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Normally, Pereira is the guy you\u2019ll pick to win that. However, I just can\u2019t rule out Gane in that kind of fight. He was taking it to Aspinall, before going knuckle deep in the poor guy\u2019s eye sockets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">If there\u2019s a gun to my head, I\u2019m going to pick Gane, since I think he and Pereira might be equal on the feet (at this stage in their careers and this weight class), but that Gane has the edge on everything other than striking. I know he was outwrestled by a one-legged Francis Ngannou and treated like a white belt against Jon Jones. But his modicum of wrestling ability plus all that size could be a problem for Poatan.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Ciryl Gane moneyline (-110)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224661.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"5360\" data-pswp-width=\"8040\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Sean O\u2019Malley and Aiemann Zahabi face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224661.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>NEWARK, NEW JERSEY &#8211; MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Sean O\u2019Malley and Aiemann Zahabi face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Sean O\u2019Malley (-440) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+340)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">O\u2019Malley is probably Baron Trump\u2019s favorite fighter, so it\u2019s no surprise to see him on the card. However, with Zahabi\u2019s inclusion the star power drops off at UFC White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Former Bantamweight champ O\u2019Malley fought quite recently, defeating Song Yadong by unanimous decision on that Paramount+ debut card in January. Before that he dropped two bouts to Merab Dvalishvili, a man whose skillset seems like krypontie for the lanky striker with the cotton candy hair.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Zahabi hasn\u2019t fought since last October. That\u2019s when he took a very close split decision over Marlon Vera (in another of those bouts where Vera seemingly refused to get out of first gear). Before that Zahabi had a coming out party with a win over Jose Aldo in his hometown of Montreal. That was a wild fight with both men looking close to being finished. I was among those who scored that fight a draw. Many more had in Aldo\u2019s favor, though.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Those wins mean Zahabi is currently riding a seven fight winning streak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">O\u2019Malley is a big favorite here. I think Zahabi might be the best dog on the card, though. I don\u2019t enjoy watching him fight, but his plodding, sturdy quasi-anti-fighting has been successful with judges. If O\u2019Malley doesn\u2019t hurt him in this fight, then I can see Zahabi walking forwards, popping his jab and forcing a close decision (which he might win).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Key to Zahabi\u2019s success lately has been his striking defense. He has a very high 69 percent defense on significant strikes. That leads the entire UFC and is four points higher than Jon Jones\u2019 career mark. It\u2019s only four points below Georges St-Pierre\u2019s record setting sig. strike defense (73.1%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">O\u2019Malley has pretty good defence himself, though, at 60 percent. So I don\u2019t think Zahabi is going to be able to block a lot of shots and then pop off too much with his own offense. I think we might see both guys struggling to land on each other at a decent clip. O\u2019Malley should have the power advantage, though (along with four inches of reach). I think O\u2019Malley might land the best shots and I have to assume that the judges might be able to see that and score accordingly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Either way, I think those defenses are meaning this one goes the distance and to a decision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Exact method of victory on this one is -160. I think that\u2019s a nice conservative bet. I\u2019ll try and make it a little more sexy, though. I\u2019ll side with Suga and just hope the judges see it that way, too.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Sean O\u2019Malley by decision (+100)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275222781.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2883\" data-pswp-width=\"4324\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: Josh Hokit is seen on stage during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275222781.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>NEWARK, NEW JERSEY &#8211; MAY 08: Josh Hokit is seen on stage during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Josh Hokit (-410) vs. Derrick Lewis (+320)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This late-ish edition to the UFC Freedom 250 card came after Hokit beat Curtis Blaydes in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-327-live-stream-miami-prochazka-ulberg-mma\/435777\/watch-ufc-327-video-highlights-results-cbs-paramount-miami-hokit-blaydes-fight-of-the-year\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">all-time Heavyweight barn-burner\/slop fest<\/a>. Hokit moved to 9-0 after forcing Blaydes to abandon his usual gameplan and trade punches in bunches (likely due to how often Hokit flipped him in the bird in that fight). The win was Hokit\u2019s fourth in a UFC Octagon and it\u2019s provided him with ample opportunities now to do his budget bucket Macho Man act on the biggest stages the UFC has gained access to.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Lewis comes into this bout off a depressing TKO loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-324-news-results-paramount-streaming-updates-mma\/417226\/watch-ufc-324-video-highlights-results-paramount-mma-las-vegas-cortes-acosta-knockout-lewis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>) in January. That ended in the second round. Before the ending it looked a lot like Lewis, who is now 41, didn\u2019t want to be there. Lewis is now 4-6 in his last ten with wins over Tallison Teixeira, Rodrigo Nascimento, Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Chris Daukaus. He\u2019s lost to every recognizable name he\u2019s faced (Jailton Almeida, Sergei Pavlovich, Tai Tuivasa, etc.).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">It\u2019s hard to say with confidence what might happen in this fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Was Hokit\u2019s wild man approach with Blaydes tailored specifically to that opponent and with the grand scheme of making himself a viral hit? Or was Hokit\u2019s approach something more primal and subconscious?<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I\u2019m leaning towards Hokit\u2019s act being a lot more calculating that he lets on. I think he was intentionally trying to pull Blaydes into a crazy fight. It was the fight Blaydes had less chance of winning and it was the fight that had the most chance of making Hokit an overnight sensation. I think Hokit cares a lot about both those things.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Hokit might have also dragged Blaydes into that kind of fight because he didn\u2019t respect Blaydes\u2019 power. I think Hokit might not want to test Lewis like that. I think we might be at the stage where Hokit knows he just needs to win now and he can get himself up the ladder and maybe into a title fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">To just win over Lewis, I think Hokit might use his incredible athleticism to get close to Lewis, push him into the cage or drag him down to the mat. If he can do that for five minutes, then Lewis probably doesn\u2019t have enough left in the tank to answer back with a big KO shot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">If Hokit gets Lewis tired, he might then start throwing the kitchen sink at him. I don\u2019t think Lewis will want to hang in there for very long if that starts happening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This theory is going to have me go with the over here. I think overs might be the theme of the night, since a lot of those intangibles around this event might lead to weird breaks or pauses in fights\/production.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (+160)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Betting on sports involves risk, so please only wager amounts you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know if struggling with gambling help can be found with the organizations listed below:<\/p>\n<p>USA: National Problem Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to receive support and learn about available services.UK: GamCare &#8211; Call 0808 8020 133 to speak to an advisor about gambling (or visit gamecare.org.uk for live chat and forum options).Canada: Visit responsiblegambling.org for resources on helplines in Canada\u2019s various provinces and territories.Australia\/New Zealand: National Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call (800) 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224652.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"5188\" data-pswp-width=\"7782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Maur\u00edcio Ruffy and Michael Chandler face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224652.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>NEWARK, NEW JERSEY &#8211; MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Maur\u00edcio Ruffy and Michael Chandler face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Mauricio Ruffy (-675) vs. Michael Chandler (+490)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">What did Michael Chandler do to these folks?<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">After catfishing Muscle Milk Mike for years over a Conor McGregor fight that will never happen, the UFC have served him up to Ruffy who, I suppose at least looks a little like McGregor. Joe Rogan compared the Brazilian to McGregor, back when he almost killed King Green with a Barboza vs. Etim like spinning heel kick (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/3\/8\/24381143\/knockout-mauricio-ruffy-flatlines-king-green-with-perfect-wheel-kick-at-ufc-313\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Ruffy is now 4-1 in UFC with his best win being a destruction of Rafael Fiziev in January (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-325-results-volkanovski-lopes-2\/418972\/watch-ufc-325-video-highlights-results-paramount-mma-australia-ruffy-knockout-fiziev\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Ruffy\u2019s lone loss is to Benoit Saint-Denis, who ran a grappling clinic on the Fighting Nerd and got a second round submission win (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/387698\/highlights-benoit-saint-denis-derails-mauricio-ruffy-hype-train-with-dominant-submission-ufc-paris-video-results-espn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Chandler, who turned 40 in April, is 2-5 in UFC and has lost his last three. His only UFC wins are over Dan Hooker (in his debut in 2021) and Tony Ferguson (who he smushed with a front kick \u2014 see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2022\/5\/7\/23061279\/ufc-274-full-fight-video-highlights-results-espn-ppv-chandler-ferguson-knockout-mcgregor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). He was beaten the heck out of by Paddy Pimblett in his last fight, which ended in a third round TKO (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/4\/13\/24406963\/highlights-flawless-paddy-pimblett-bloodies-strangles-michael-chandler-shutout-win-ufc-314\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). That was back in April, 2025. Before that Chandler was dominated by Charles Oliveira for a unanimous decision loss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I\u2019ve been playing a lot of overs here, but I think this one is over quickly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Pimblett was able to hit Chandler with whatever he wanted. If Ruffy has that same luxury, than Chandler isn\u2019t going to be able to last very long.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (-130)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224343.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2939\" data-pswp-width=\"4408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukaus face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224343.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>NEWARK, NEW JERSEY &#8211; MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukaus face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Bo Nickal (-345) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+275)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Nickal last fought in November, when he starched Rodolfo Vieira with a head kick from hell (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-322-jack-della-vs-islam-makhachev-start-time-full-results-espn-mma\/403051\/watch-ufc-322-video-highlights-results-espn-ppv-new-york-nickal-head-kick-knockout-middle-finger\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). That was pretty surprising from the former stud wrestler. That win saw Nickal rebound from his TKO loss to Reinier de Ridder (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2025\/5\/4\/24423067\/full-fight-video-highlights-ufc-des-moines-results-espn-de-ridder-knockout-bo-nickal-knee-liver\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>), which plenty of fans were calling a fraud check. Before the RDR loss, Nickal beat Paul Craig, by decision, in what was one of the worst fights of 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Daukaus is the most surprising inclusion on the White House card. This time last year he was getting ready to fight Guram Gochashvili at Cage Fury 145 at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City. He bailed on that to fight Gerald Meershaert on short notice, at Madison Square Garden. He submitted Meerschaert in fifty seconds and the rest is history. This is Daukaus\u2019 second run in UFC. He was cut in 2022 after initially going 3-4 1 NC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This is yet another lopsided match-up on this card. And, like most of the others, it\u2019s hard to make much of a case for the underdog. Daukaus has sneaky good power and submissions, but he\u2019s scored finishes, mostly, on guys who are known for running themselves into trouble. I don\u2019t think Nickal is going to give him many opening for that kind of thing on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Nickal\u2019s improving stand up really helps his wrestling game in the cage. I think we might see Nickal look like the total package in this fight. Daukaus will have to respect that striking and I think that means we\u2019ll see Nickal stick and move on the feet and combo his strikes with takedowns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The round total for this is 1.5 and I think we\u2019re going way over that. I think Nickal is going to dominate and use a lot of his wrestling. Daukaus knows his stuff on the ground, so I don\u2019t think Nickal will be able to get his quick arm triangle finish. Instead, I think he\u2019ll be able to exhaust Daukaus for a lopsided decision of maybe a late stoppage.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-166)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224356.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2552\" data-pswp-width=\"3828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2275224356.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>NEWARK, NEW JERSEY &#8211; MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia face off during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>Diego Lopes (-155) vs. Steve Garcia (+130)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This is an incredible fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Lopes heads into this match after losing to Alexander Volkanovski in January. That was his second loss to \u2018The Great\u2019 and it seemed like he had gone backwards in that fight, showing no improvements and getting totally stifled by the adjustment Volkanovski made after their first bout. In between those losses, Lopes beat Jean Silva \u2014 putting him down with a spinning elbow (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/389243\/highlights-noche-ufc-3-video-results-espn-texas-lopes-silva-spinning-elbow-knockout\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Lopes is now 6-3 in UFC. His other loss was to Movsar Evloev.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Garcia is on a seven fight winning streak with all, but one, of those fights ending via KO\/TKO. Last time out he smoked David Onama, in his debut main event fight (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-espn-plus-fight-pass-events-schedule-mma\/400385\/highlights-steve-garcia-melts-david-onama-with-main-event-tko-ufc-vegas-110-results-espn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Before that he took a decision over the ghost of Calvin Kattar. Garcia fought cautiously against Kattar and then played it off as him being afraid of how dangerous Kattar was. I think he might have been trying to mask an injury there, though.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Garcia\u2019s power is ungodly. I bet a lot of his previous opponents say things like \u201cI\u2019ve never been hit like that before.\u201d When his punches land, they look like they could smash rocks. That being said, Lopes can probably argue that he has the hardest chin in the sport. He took some massive shots from Volkanovski and Silva and kept walking forwards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">I think he can probably stand up to Garcia\u2019s power. If we\u2019re just slinging punches at each other, then I think Lopes can probably win a close fight. If this goes any other way, though, Lopes should have a big advantage. Garcia is pretty untested on the ground, but I suspect Lopes is a far better grappler (based on what we\u2019ve seen from him).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Those factors combined have me picking the Brazilian to win the first fight of the night.<\/p>\n<p>Best bet: Diego Lopes moneyline (-155)<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2274870982.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3480\" data-pswp-width=\"5220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane face off on the balcony of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Zuffa LLC)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gettyimages-2274870982.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; MAY 06: Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane face off on the balcony of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n<p>UFC Freedom 250 Long Shots!<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Here\u2019s a couple of long shots for Saturday night\u2019s action &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Ciryl Gane to win by submission (+1000)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Remember Gane has a heel hook win in UFC (see it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/2019\/10\/26\/20933481\/ufc-singapore-full-fight-video-highlights-askren-maia-espn-mma-gane-submission-mayes-heel-hook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>)? If Gane does get to use his heft against Pereira, I think there\u2019s a chance he will be able to hold him down on the ground for a decent amount of time. From the ground, I think there\u2019s a chance he snatches up a big man kimura or a slow and lazy arm triangle.<\/p>\n<p>Aiemann Zahabi to win by split or majority decision (+1400)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Zahabi has a really annoying fight style that has seen him squeak by in his last few fights. I don\u2019t see a finish coming in this bout with O\u2019Malley, so I think we\u2019re going to the scorecards. With Zahabi\u2019s style, that can lead to all kinds of things happening.<\/p>\n<p>Seven fight parlay: Topuria, Gane, O\u2019Malley, Hokit, Ruffy, Nickal, Lopes (+752)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">It\u2019s a shortened fight card, might as well get silly with it and try to hit on a Magnificent Seven. This is everyone I like and they are all favorites, outside of Gane (who is in a pick \u2018em with Pereira). I think O\u2019Malley is the riskiest leg of my parlay (for reasons stated above). But this feels like a fun way to enhance my viewing on Sunday (so long as Garcia doesn\u2019t KO Lopes to start things off!).<\/p>\n<p>To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje\u201d news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmamania.com\/ufc-paramount-plus-news-hub-fight-cards-schedule\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UFC Freedom 250 is live this weekend (Sun., June 14, 2026) on the White House lawn of all&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":723061,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,33601,638,82,139445,98879,702,17056,17055,8729],"class_list":["post-729089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-latest-ufc-mma-news","tag-mma","tag-sports","tag-ufc-on-paramount","tag-ufc-white-house-2026","tag-ufc-news","tag-ufc-odds","tag-ufc-predictions","tag-ufc-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=729089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/723061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=729089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=729089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=729089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}