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UFC Freedom 250 press conference LIVE: Lincoln Memorial to host first event of controversial White House fight weekend

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Trump loves crashing sports events – thanks to the UFC, he’s got his own

That’s because on Sunday, it will be all cheers and no jeers.

The event, supposedly a celebration of 250 years of the United States (but taking place on Trump’s 80th birthday), will be remarkable, for better or worse.

More on Trump’s relationship with sports events:

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Alex Pattle12 June 2026 23:08

Don’t be fooled by the glitz of UFC White House – all is not well in Dana White’s world

Mr Trump’s close friend Dana White, the UFC’s president and CEO, has said that TV-production awards should be abolished altogether if this event wins none.

It’s hyperbole, of course, to which White is more than prone, but it’s also curious because of how starkly it stands in contrast to the UFC’s weekly product.

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Over the last couple of years, the UFC has come under increasing criticism for its output. A peak has passed, it feels. Fans have complained about what they deem weaker fight cards with fewer consequential bouts; events playing out in the small and soulless UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas; and the UFC’s seemingly-lacking promotional efforts.

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:59

Schedule for the rest of the week

On Saturday, a fan festival will play out at the Ellipse, a large park located next to the White House. That will begin at 12.30pm PT / 2.30pm CT / 3.30pm ET (8.30pm BST).

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Thereafter, the ceremonial weigh-in for the fight card will get started at 5.30pm PT / 7.30pm CT / 8.30pm ET (1.30am BST on Sunday), followed by a concert from the Zac Brown Band at 6.30pm PT / 8.30pm CT / 9.30pm ET (2.30am BST on Sunday).

Finally, the fight card itself will take place on Sunday 14 June, beginning at 5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET (1am BST on Monday).

(Getty)

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:52

Not the only time Ilia Topuria has been angered recently

More recently, Topuria took exception to another comment about family – this time, one directed at his own.

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“All that guy is, is a gimmick,” Justin Gaethje said recently. “He calls himself the king, he thinks he’s a God. What an annoying little b*****d. I couldn’t imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes, listening to him talk about himself.

“And I can say this: I would leave him. That’s all I’m saying: I would leave him. No way I would put up with his s***.”

Ahead of his fight with Gaethje on Sunday, Topuria replied: “Justin crossed a line. What happened between my ex-wife and me is our business. We may no longer be together, but she is the mother of my daughter.

“To everyone insulting her or speaking about things they know nothing about: show some respect. You don’t have to respect our relationship. But respecting someone’s mother should be one of the most basic codes in life. Be better.”

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Gaethje responded, and Topuria did the same in turn… More here:

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:44

Will Josh Hokit be dragged off stage by security again?

Hokit is due to face Derrick Lewis on Sunday, but in a stunnig tirade, the heavyweight took aim at Alex Pereira, who will vie for the division’s interim title on Sunday.

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When Hokit referenced family, Topuria was irate – and the much-smaller man hurled a water bottle at the American, before security intervened.

It should be said that Hokit, who often speaks in rhyme, seems to be putting on a WWE-style persona. Still, that doesn’t mean you can say whatever you like, free of consequence, I suppose!

American heavyweight Josh Hokit is a divisive figure
American heavyweight Josh Hokit is a divisive figure (AP)

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:36

Who will speak at press conference today? UFC White House fight card in full

We’re expecting UFC president Dana White to host tonight’s press conference, although that duty could be taken on by commentator Jon Anik.

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Either way, every UFC White House fighter should be present.

Here’s how Sunday’s event looks (subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion):

Ilia Topuria (C) vs Justin Gaethje (lightweight title)

Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane (interim heavyweight title)

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Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi (bantamweight)

Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit (heavyweight)

Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler (lightweight)

Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus (middleweight)

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Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia (featherweight)

Donald Trump flanked by UFC fighters in the Oval Office
Donald Trump flanked by UFC fighters in the Oval Office (AFP/Getty)

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:29

Will Trump be present? President snubs USA’s World Cup opener

Let’s see if Trump turns up tonight; one thing is for sure, the US President won’t be at his nation’s opening World Cup game.

USA play Paraguay at 9pm ET tonight / 2am BST on Saturday, with the game playing out at Los Angeles Stadium – but without the Leader of the Free World in attendance.

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Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:24

Press-conference stage construction has tourists fuming over blocked views

The fights themselves have not proven the only controversial part of this week.

Lincoln Memorial visitors were met with temporary fencing, stage lights, large monitors and crews preparing to turn the historic location into a UFC press conference site.

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“It’s awful,” Trudy Rumbaugh, a visitor from Vermont, told DC News Now. “It detracts from the beauty of the monuments. And it’s obstructive.”

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:17

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Judge rejects bid to block fights from going ahead

The big news of the day is that, as Alex Woodward writes, “the fights are on”.

A federal judge has rejected an attempt to block this weekends bouts from taking place, after a lawsuit accused the administration of a “deeply corrupt” scheme to line the pockets of his allies.

A last-minute federal lawsuit accused the Trump administration of giving the UFC “unfettered access” to turn public landmarks into profitable billboards.

UFC has committed $60m to the event, according to court filings. The event is expected to draw multi-million dollar sponsorships as well as revenue through a broadcast agreement with Paramount +, a streaming platform operated by Trump allies.

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White House officials say the UFC is covering costs for the unprecedented production, but several federal agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower”.

(AP)

Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:11

Start time for press conference tonight

The UFC has said tonight’s press conference will begin at 8.15pm ET, which is 1.15am BST on Saturday morning.

Saturday evening will then bring the ceremonial weigh-ins, also at the Lincoln Memorial, before the fights themselves take place on the South Lawn on Sunday.

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Alex Pattle12 June 2026 22:06

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From Bal Sikander to Glasgow: The rise of CWG silver medallist Lovepreet | Other Sports News

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India’s Lovepreet Singh came within touching distance of a Commonwealth Games gold before settling for silver in the men’s +110kg weightlifting event at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

 


The 28-year-old lifted a combined 388kg (176kg in the snatch and 212kg in the clean and jerk), finishing just one kilogram behind New Zealand’s David Andrew Liti, who claimed gold with a total of 389kg (166kg + 223kg). England’s Andrew Griffith took bronze with 356kg.

 

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Lovepreet’s silver upgraded the bronze medal he won at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and also ended India’s run of three medalless weightlifting events.

 
 


His performance capped a successful campaign for the Indian weightlifting contingent, which finished the Games with eight medals.


Who is Lovepreet Singh?


Born on September 6, 1997, in Bal Sikander village in Punjab’s Amritsar district, Lovepreet Singh grew up in a modest household.

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His father worked as a tailor, while his grandfather earned a livelihood by selling vegetables. Rather than following the family profession, Lovepreet was encouraged to pursue sport and took up weightlifting at the age of 13 at the DAV Ground in Amritsar.

 

Years of perseverance transformed the youngster from a village training centre into one of India’s premier heavyweight weightlifters. 


From Bal Sikander to the Commonwealth podium


Lovepreet announced himself on the international stage by winning silver in the men’s 109kg category at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

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A year later, he secured bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, earning India’s first medal in the men’s heavyweight division at those Games.

 


Following the restructuring of international weight categories, Lovepreet moved into the men’s +110kg division, where he continued to establish himself among the world’s top heavyweight lifters.

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His silver medal at Glasgow 2026 marks his second successive Commonwealth Games podium finish and underlines his consistency on the international stage.


An impressive resume


Lovepreet has steadily built an impressive international resume over the past few years.

 

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His medal-winning performances include silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in the men’s +110kg category, bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the men’s 109kg category, and silver at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

 


The Glasgow campaign also saw him rewrite the Commonwealth Games record books after producing a snatch lift of 176kg, setting a new Games record in the discipline.


The road to CWG 2026 silver


Lovepreet looked destined for gold after a sensational performance in the snatch.

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He opened with a comfortable 168kg before successfully clearing 173kg on his second attempt. On his final attempt, the Punjab lifter produced a flawless 176kg lift to set a new Commonwealth Games snatch record and carry a commanding 10kg advantage into the clean and jerk.

 


His chances improved further after Samoa’s Sanele Mao, one of the pre-event favourites, failed all three snatch attempts.

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The clean and jerk, however, belonged to New Zealand’s David Liti.

 


Liti opened with 207kg before Lovepreet successfully matched his personal best of 212kg on his second attempt. With the crowd chanting “Come on, Jatta” and “Come on, Singh”, Lovepreet attempted 217kg on his final lift — a weight that would have broken the Commonwealth Games record and secured gold.

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Although he managed to clean the bar, he could not complete the jerk.

 


That left the door open for Liti, who responded with a Games-record clean-and-jerk lift of 223kg to finish with a total of 389kg and snatch the gold by a single kilogram.

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“I thought I would win gold after snatch but it was up to God. Little disappointed that I couldn’t lift in my final attempt in clean and jerk. I have lifted more in training,” Lovepreet said after the competition.


What’s next for Lovepreet?


Winning silver at Glasgow further strengthens Lovepreet Singh’s position as India’s leading heavyweight weightlifter.

 

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Having now won medals at consecutive Commonwealth Games and established himself as a record-holder at the event, the Punjab lifter will shift his focus to the World Weightlifting Championships, Asian Championships and the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

 


With his performances continuing to improve in the +110kg category, Lovepreet remains one of India’s strongest medal hopes at major international competitions.

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George Pickens reveals true feelings on Jerry Jones’ comments for Cowboys WR over contract extension talks

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens responded to Jerry Jones’ comments about his future with the franchise.

On Tuesday, Jones had high praise for Pickens. He also highlighted the possibility of him playing for the Cowboys for the rest of his NFL career. Pickens expressed his appreciation for those kind words on Thursday.

“Super excited,” Pickens said. “I’m always super happy when someone thinks highly of me, so shout out to Jerry.”

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The Cowboys acquired George Pickens via a trade with the Steelers in May 2025. In 17 games, he posted an impressive 1,429 yards on 93 receptions and nine touchdowns. There was a lot of chatter about a potential contract extension following his performance.

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However, in February, the Cowboys placed a franchise tag on him. Pickens signed the $27.3 million franchise tag in April. While speaking about the wide receiver, Jerry Jones said that he expects great things from Pickens in 2026.

“He’s a valued part of our aspirations and our potential success,” Jones said. “I hope that he comes out here and is the most prolific, successful receiver in the NFL this year. And how would you like to be a free agent and with his credentials and step out there and have a year like that? I wish all of that because if that happens, that (would be) good for us.

“This can be a very win-win thing that we’ve done here, us and George being on the team. Make no mistake about it, George could be a Cowboy for the rest of his career and that’d be a long time. Make no mistake about it. This (franchise tag) just fit for us and thank goodness it fit for him and we got it done.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Pickens with the No. 52 pick in 2022. In three seasons, he recorded 2,841 yards on 174 receptions and 21 TDs.


ALSO READ: “No deadline drama this time”: NFL fans react as George Pickens officially enters July 15 deadline as a franchised player without long-term deal

ALSO READ: George Pickens faces lofty expectations from former WR after officially going through franchise tag extension deadline

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Dak Prescott “excited” to play alongside George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb in the 2026 season

Dak Prescott has already built a rapport with CeeDee Lamb over the past few years. Last season, he also built chemistry with George Pickens, providing him with more help on offense.

On Thursday, Prescott was questioned about his strategy heading into Year 2 with Lamb and Pickens by his side.

“It’s exciting. They help me be comfortable,” Prescott said. “Those guys are ridiculous in their ability to get one, ability to win in one-on-one. Right now, it’s just about continuing to communicate about the zones and where they need to be in certain timings. … They’re just a complement to this whole offense.”

The Cowboys play the New York Giants on the road in their season-opener on Sept. 13.