Alex Pereira Shrugs Off Artem Vakhitov's Help for Ciryl Gane Ahead of UFC 250 Interim Title Fight

Q: As a lawsuit threatens the event, will the UFC cage on the White House lawn see any fights this Sunday?

As of now, yes—the fights are still expected to take place Sunday, unless a judge steps in before then. The event, UFC Freedom 250, remains on the schedule for June 14 on the White House South Lawn, and construction of the cage structure is already underway. The White House says the event is properly permitted, and no court order has yet halted the card. The uncertainty comes from a federal lawsuit filed by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents. The suit seeks an emergency injunction to stop the event, arguing that the UFC card is a private, for-profit use of federal grounds and that required approvals and environmental review were not properly handled. It also challenges the legality of the large temporary structure being built for the event. U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta has asked for an expedited schedule to consider the emergency request, so a ruling could come in the next few days. That means the event’s status is not fully settled until the court acts. Still, based on the current record, there is no injunction in place, the government is defending the event, and UFC preparations are continuing publicly. So the practical answer is that the cage is expected to see fights this Sunday—but the final outcome depends on whether the court grants emergency relief before the opening bell.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 9

Alex Pereira said Artem Vakhitov’s role in Ciryl Gane’s camp will not matter before their interim heavyweight title fight Sunday at UFC Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.
Gane brought in Vakhitov—the 35-year-old former Glory champion who handed Pereira his last kickboxing loss, a majority decision at Glory 78 in 2021—to help prepare for Pereira’s striking.
Pereira argued the link is outdated because kickboxing and MMA are different sports and because he has changed significantly since those two 2021 bouts with Vakhitov ended 1-1.
The co-main event matches Gane, 13-2, against Pereira, 13-3, on a seven-fight White House card, with Ilia Topuria set to meet Justin Gaethje in the lightweight title unification main event.