Cryptocurrency took center stage at UFC Freedom 250, where fighters collected performance bonuses paid in digital assets. Held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jun
Cryptocurrency took center stage at UFC Freedom 250, where fighters collected performance bonuses paid in digital assets.
Held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14, the event delivered one of the most visible commercial showcases of two crypto heavyweights.
USD1 and CRO tokens funded the payouts. USD1 is a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance (DeFi) venture backed by the Trump family.
CRO is the native token of Cronos, the blockchain linked to exchange operator Crypto.com, which sponsored the event alongside automaker Ram.
Each USD1 is designed to hold a value equal to one U.S. dollar, while CRO powers transactions across the Crypto.com ecosystem.
Related: Trump-linked World Liberty Financial announces new strategic token reserve
For the first time, every bout on the card ended in a knockout, complicating the task of choosing bonus winners after a historic night.
In UFC, a "card" means the complete lineup of scheduled fights for a specific event. Based on fighters' popularity and the importance of the bouts or matches, it is divided into multiple sections.
Justin Gaethje captured the undisputed lightweight title after defeating the previously undefeated Ilia Topuria, until the challenger's corner stopped the fight before the fifth round.
Ciryl Gane claimed the interim heavyweight belt, methodically breaking down Alex Pereira before finishing him in the second round.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UFC President and CEO Dana White during the UFC Freedom 250 fight.Gaethje and Gane each earned a $425,000 package anchored by a $100,000 cash Performance of the Night award. On top of that, each received $125,000 in USD1 and $200,000 in CRO.
Their shared Fight of the Night honor added $400,000 for each athlete, including a $300,000 CRO portion. Every other winner took home the standard $25,000 finish bonus.
All told, the event routed $950,000 in crypto directly to fighters.
Related: Fight.ID and UFC Expand Web3 Collaboration to Grow Global Fan Engagement
