A UFC lightweight championship title unification bout between current champion Ilia Topuria and current two-time interim champion Justin Gaethje highlights the UFC Freedom 250 fight card on Sunday at the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven-bout UFC White House main card is scheduled to start at approximately 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Topuria is coming off first-round knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last June. Gaethje, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 this past January.
In the main event, Topuria is the -500 favorite (risk $500 to win $100) in the UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Gaethje at +380. In the co-main event, Ciryl Gane is the -112 favorite over Alex Pereira (-108) in a heavyweight interim title bout, with the over/under for total rounds at 2.5. Before locking in any UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje picks, make sure you see the UFC Freedom 250: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.
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Over the past three-plus years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up nearly $10,000, and since May 2018, he has returned well over $21,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has provided consistent winners for SportsLine members for the past five years. His accomplishments include hitting five consecutive main-event underdog winners in 2020 following the UFC’s brief pause in action because of the pandemic. Anyone who has followed Marley’s UFC betting picks could have seen huge returns.
Now, Marley has studied Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them.
Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje preview
Topuria, 29, who turned professional in 2015, is a former UFC featherweight champion, becoming the first Georgian and Spanish fighter to win a UFC title. He is No. 2 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. He enters the match with a 17-0 career mark. He has seven wins by knockout, eight by submission and two by decision.
He has earned numerous accolades, and is the first two-division champion with an undefeated record. He is the 10th multi-division champion in UFC history. He has earned five Performance of the Night honors and is a one-time Fight of the Night honoree. Multiple outlets named him the Fighter of the Year for 2024. Check out SportsLine to see Marley’s picks and analysis.
Gaethje, 37, who fights out of Denver, and is nicknamed “The Highlight.” In 32 matches, he has compiled a 27-5 record. He has 20 wins by knockout, one by submission and six by decision. He has been on a bit of a roll, earning wins in four of his past five bouts.
He is the oldest fighter in UFC history to win a lightweight title, and is the only two-time interim champion. He is a five-time Performance of the Night winner, and has the third-highest significant strike accuracy percentage in UFC lightweight division history at 58.8%. He is tied for fifth-most knockouts in UFC lightweight division history with six. Fight Matrix ranks him as the ninth-greatest lightweight fighter of all-time. You can only see Marley’s picks and analysis at SportsLine.
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UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje predictions
One of of Marley’s UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje picks: He is backing Diego Lopes (-155) to win via submission over Steve Garcia (+130) in a featherweight bout on the UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje card.
“Lopes is going to have a big grappling advantage in this fight, but Garcia is going to be the more dangerous striker,” Marley said. “Garcia has big power and could land a KO, but I don’t see Lopes just accepting a striking match, so I think he needs the KO. I like Lopes to avoid the big shots and get this fight to the ground, where I think he locks up a submission at some point.” See who else to back here.
How to make White House UFC picks
Marley also has strong picks for Topuria vs. Gaethje and other bouts on the UFC Freedom 250: Topuria vs. Gaethje card. He’s also backing an underdog who is faster and “more skilled” to emerge with a big victory. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins 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 $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 2018, and find out.
UFC Freedom 250 main fight card, odds
See picks at SportsLine.
(Odds from DraftKings and subject to change)
Ilia Topuria (-500) vs. Justin Gaethje (+380)
Cyril Gane (-112) vs. Alex Pereira (-108)
Sean O’Malley (-455) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+350)
Josh Hokit (-440) vs. Derrick Lewis (+340)
Mauricio Ruffy (-600) vs. Michael Chandler (+440)
Bo Nickal (-310) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+250)
Diego Lopes (-155) vs. Steve Garcia (+130)
