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SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani reveals his UFC Freedom 250 picks for Sunday's event from the White House on Paramount+
Jun 14, 2026 at 9:25 am ET • 5 min read
History will be made on Sunday as the White House hosts its first-ever pro sporting event with UFC Freedom 250 on Paramount+. A seven-bout card comprises UFC White House, which begins at 8 p.m. ET and will see the Octagon erected on the South Lawn. Two title fights headline the night, including the UFC Lightweight Championship as current title holder Ilia Topuria (17-0-0) faces interim lightweight champ Justin Gaethje (27-5-0). Topuria is the -575 favorite (risk $575 to win $100) in the latest UFC odds, and Gaethje is priced at +425.
Also at UFC Freedom 250 is a fight for the interim heavyweight title. No. 1 contender, Ciryl Gane (13-2-0), will face Alex Pereira (13-3-0), who is No. 4 in UFC pound-for-pound rankings. Gane is the -118 favorite to target in UFC bets, with Pereira at -102. Before locking in any UFC White House picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
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Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he's up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks.
His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O'Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card, and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps could be way up.
Now, Vithlani has studied UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them.
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UFC White House: Topuria vs. Gaethje preview
Topuria, 29, owns a black belt in BJJ and has a diverse arsenal to defeat an opponent. Of his 17 wins, eight have come from submission, seven have been via knockout, and two victories have come on the scorecards. Each of his first seven victories were via submission, while six of his last eight triumphs have seen him knock out his foe. Topuria won the UFC Featherweight Title in Feb. 2024 from Alexander Volkanovski and then defended it with a win over Max Holloway in Oct. 2024 before vacating the belt to move up to lightweight.
At the heavier weight class, Topuria defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June 2025 to claim the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. That made him the 10th overall two-weight UFC champion and the first to claim multiple belts while remaining undefeated. The Georgian enters UFC White House No. 2 in pound-for-pound rankings, and while he's giving up reach to Gaethje, Topuria has youth on his side. Check out SportsLine to see Vithlani's picks and analysis.
Gaethje, 37, has an amateur wrestling background as he was an NCAA All-American at Northern Colorado, but he's made his living in MMA with his knockout ability. Of his 27 wins, 20 have come via knockout, compared to just one coming via submission. However, he's shown the recent ability to go the distance and win over the judges as four of his last five victories have come by way of decision. That includes his last bout in Jan. 2026 at UFC 324 when Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision, winning the interim lightweight title in the process.
That made Gaethje the first two-time interim champion in UFC history and also the oldest fighter to ever win a UFC Lightweight Title. He's also held the ceremonial 'BMF' belt and has earned a record 10 Fight of the Night bonuses. That's tied for the most in the promotion's history, and Gaethje will aim for his 11th by using his length advantage on Sunday. At 5-foot-11, he's four inches taller than Topuria, with a three-inch advantage in leg reach. You can only see UFC White House picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC Freedom 250 predictions
One of of Vithlani's UFC White House picks: He's backing Steve Garcia (+135) to pull the upset of Diego Lopes (-160) in a featherweight battle to open the card. Garcia hasn't lost a bout in nearly four years, and six of his seven fights over this stretch have seen him triumph with a knockout. Meanwhile, Lopes has lost two of his last three fights and is giving up 2.5 inches in reach to Garcia.
"Garcia is an intimidating striker who uses his rangy frame, Muay Thai style and heavy forward pressure effectively. On his seven-fight win streak, Garcia has walked down many of his opponents and broke their spirits early," Vithlani told SportsLine. "... I can see Garcia's awkward and aggressive style giving Lopes trouble. Garcia was knocked out by a lower-level opponent back in 2022, but his weight cut and health weren't right going into that fight. If Garcia can take Lopes' best shot, I think he can out-brawl him in a nasty fight." See who else to back here.
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How to make UFC White House picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Topuria vs. Gaethje and other bouts on the UFC White House card. He's also backing a fighter who "is one of the smoothest strikers in his division's history" to notch a massive victory. He's sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC White House: Topuria vs. Gaethje, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC Freedom 250 fight card, odds
See picks at SportsLine.
(Odds from DraftKings and subject to change)
Ilia Topuria (-575) vs. Justin Gaethje (+425)
Alex Pereira (-102) vs. Ciryl Gane (-118)
Sean O'Malley (-440) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (-340)
Josh Hokit (-410) vs. Derrick Lewis (+320)
Mauricio Ruffy (-700) vs. Michael Chandler (+500)
Bo Nickal (-355) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+280)
Diego Lopes (-162) vs. Steve Garcia (+136)
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