UFC White House fight grades: How good was Justin ...

UFC White House fight grades: How good was Justin Gaethje's title win?2hAndreas HaleUFC at the White House beats the odds and the rain to put on a big show11hESPN StaffWhite: UFC at White House 'great,' never again8hMichael RothsteinGaethje downs Topuria in thriller at White House13hAndreas HaleGane crushes Pereira, captures UFC's interim title14hBrett OkamotoUFC's Strickland removed from Freedom 250 fest14hMichael RothsteinPereira 251 pounds for UFC Freedom 250 at WH2dBrett OkamotoUFC to award record-high bonuses at WH event3dBrett OkamotoWhite House UFC event can proceed, judge rules3dMichael RothsteinUFC White House fight grades: How good was Justin Gaethje's title win?2hAndreas HaleUFC White House was preposterous, surreal and very American4hDan WetzelWhite: UFC at White House 'great,' never again8hMichael RothsteinUFC at the White House beats the odds and the rain to put on a big show11hESPN StaffUFC White House results: Justin Gaethje upsets Ilia Topuria for lightweight title13hESPN StaffGane crushes Pereira, captures UFC's interim title14hBrett OkamotoUFC's Strickland removed from Freedom 250 fest14hMichael RothsteinUFC White House buzz: Hail, wind and lightning possible in D.

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Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas' free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation.

Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z's Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film "Bridges" in 2024.

Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe UFC descended upon the nation's capital for a once-in-a-lifetime event.The hype was real with a seven-fight card stacked with intrigue, including Alex Pereira's bid to become a three-division world champion against Ciryl Gane and Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.But in a rare MMA moment, the fight card exceeded expectations with every fight ending by knockout for the first time.

Not all were created equal. Mauricio Ruffy's one-sided destruction of Michael Chandler was totally different from Gaethje's all-out battle with Topuria to claim the undisputed lightweight championship in his third try.Nevertheless, while the extraordinary backdrop of the White House made this a spectacle, the fights delivered, and UFC Freedom 250 could be the front-runner for fight card of the year.

After every UFC numbered event, ESPN assesses the quality of each fight and the overall card and gives letter grades based on skill displayed, competitiveness and stakes.Lightweight championship: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin GaethjeResult: Gaethje defeats Topuria by fourth-round TKO Grade: A+By now, there's an expectation that when Gaethje fights, it's must-see television.

This fight went a step beyond that with an epic encounter that defined what an all-out battle looks like. The previously undefeated Topuria had never been in that kind of fight, which greatly benefited Gaethje. The degree of violence between Topuria's body work and Gaethje's uppercuts was wince-inducing.

The element of danger hung over every second, with the combatants having severe ebbs and flows. It seemed as though either fighter could be finished at any given moment. But Gaethje persevered and pulled off a stunning finish by bludgeoning Topuria into retiring on his stool after Round 4.

This was an absolute must-watch bout and thus far has only one rival for fight of the year, Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes' epic April encounter.Interim heavyweight championship: Ciryl Gane vs. Alex PereiraResult: Gane defeats Pereira by second-round TKO Grade: A-What was expected to be a crowning moment for Pereira ended in disaster for him, as Gane poked, prodded and eventually clobbered his way to his second interim championship.

It was nip and tuck early until Gane settled in with his jab to set up an impressive finishing sequence in Round 2. Gane sat down Pereira with a hard jab and went for the finish. To Pereira's credit, he somehow absorbed the punishment and made it to his feet.

But Gane wouldn't be de