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UFC Freedom Fights 250 predictions: our Topuria vs. Gaethje picks

This June, the UFC will be holding a historic event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, this fight card is packed with the best fighters in the world. The main event sees Ilia Topuria defending his belt against Justin Gaethje, while Alex Pereira fights at heavyweight for the first time as he challenges for the interim title against Ciryl Gane. Read the latest expert opinions and predictions on the UFC Freedom Fights 250 below.

UFC Freedom Fights 250 main event prediction: Topuria vs Gaethje pick

Ilia Topuria is our pick to beat Justin Gaethje by KO/TKO in the main event and retain the lightweight title. The former featherweight champion is currently undefeated, with a professional MMA record of 17-0. His opponent, Gaethje, was previously the interim champion and also held the BMF belt. Gaethje’s mixed martial arts record is 27-5.

Ilia Topuria has looked incredibly impressive during his time in the UFC, defeating each of his 9 opponents, with 6 wins by KO/TKO and 1 by submission. His last 3 wins have been over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira, each of whom he finished by KO/TKO.

Gaethje has a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in UFC history. Many of his fights have ended in highlight reel knockouts, with only 4 out of 15 UFC fights going to a decision. He’s currently on a 2-fight win streak, beating Rafael Fiziev and Paddy Pimblett by decision.

Can Topuria's striking neutralize Gaethje's pressure?

Topuria is a complete martial artist, with excellent grappling and striking skills. However, it’s his boxing that really sets him apart from many other fighters in the UFC. His fighting style is made for countering opponents, and he’s very comfortable against forward pressure, as we saw when he KO’d Charles Oliveira in his last fight.

Gaethje has also shown that he’s very susceptible to boxing inside the pocket. In the Holloway fight, he was soundly beaten despite pressuring for a lot of the fight, and was KO’d in the last minute after exchanging punches in close range.

Why Gaethje's championship rounds experience could turn the fight

Although Topuria is the favorite, Gaethje has significantly more experience, and this could be a major advantage. In WSOF, Gaethje had 6 title fights, and he’s fought in 6 championship fights in the UFC. If he can weather the storm, he could make things difficult for Topuria by dragging him into the later rounds.

Co-main event prediction: Pereira vs. Gane for interim heavyweight gold

In the co-main event, we’re predicting Alex Pereira to beat Ciryl Gane by KO/TKO. While Gane may have the experience at heavyweight, Pereira has proven to be one of the most dangerous men the UFC has ever seen, with an 80% KO record. His MMA record stands at 13-3, while Gane is currently 13-2.

Both fighters are known for being excellent strikers, but Pereira has arguably more power, with a much higher KO percentage. Gane may try to grapple him and use his size to neutralize Pereira’s best weapon: the left hook. However, our prediction is that Pereira will catch him at some point and end the fight.

Can Alex Pereira become the first three-division UFC champion?

Alex Pereira has earned his place among the greatest names in the UFC. The former kickboxing world champion made the switch to MMA and joined the UFC in 2021, winning the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya a year later. After losing the belt in a rematch to Adesanya, Perira moved up in weight to the light heavyweight division, where he won his second UFC title. He went on to defend the light heavyweight belt 3 times before losing to Ankalaev. However, he won his belt back in an immediate rematch, KOing his rival in the first round.

Pereira has had an incredible story within MMA, but it’s not over yet. He could become an even bigger legend by becoming the first-ever 3-division UFC champion if he beats Ciryl Gane on June 14.

Our picks for the rest of the UFC Freedom Fights 250 card

• Sean O'Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi - O’Malley by decision

• Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis - Hokit by KO/TKO

• Maurício Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler - Chandler by decision

• Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus - Nickal by KO/TKO

• Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia - Lopes by KO/TKO

UFC Freedom Fights 250 parlay picks and longshot plays

To place a parlay on UFC Freedom 250, simply add multiple bets to your bet slip and then combine them into a single bet. When making parlays, it’s better to pick match winner bets rather than winning methods, as they’re more likely to be successful that way.

Our longshot play for this card is Michael Chandler to beat Mauricio Ruffy by decision. Although Ruffy is an incredible striker, he showed in his fight against Benoit Saint-Denis that he really struggles with opponents who grapple. Chandler has excellent wrestling, but he doesn’t always fight smart. A Ruffy win by KO/TKO wouldn’t be surprising, but Chandler by decision could be a big win thanks to the current UFC odds.

Where to bet on UFC Freedom Fights 250 and watch live fights for free

You can bet on every fight of UFC Freedom Fights 250 here at Stake, and we also offer free live streams. Here’s how to start betting on this event:

1. Sign up at Stake or log in to your account using your password or secure passkey.

2. Make a deposit using any of the available payment methods.

3. Open the event page, search for the fighter you want to bet on, or use the menu to look up MMA > UFC > UFC Freedom Fights 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje to see all live and upcoming fights.

4. Select any fight to see all the available betting markets, including winner, method of victory, and total rounds.

5. Choose a bet to add to your bet slip, then enter your stake and confirm to place the bet.

6. Select the live stream button to watch the event live for free.

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