The 2025 UFL season is complete, and the DC Defenders are your new league champions.
The Defenders went off in Saturday’s championship game against the Michigan Panthers, scoring a league-record 58 points in their victory. But the Panthers brought plenty of excitement as well, dropping 34 points in the 58-34 loss.
As there was a lot of high-flying action in Saturday’s championship game, here are the 10 best plays from the tilt.
10. Defenders’ special teams unit forces the fumble
After taking a 15-13 lead in the second quarter, the Defenders got the ball back immediately after forcing a fumble on the kickoff return. Micah Baskerville ripped the ball out of Xavier Malone’s grasp, allowing Willie Drew Jr. to recover the ball at the Panthers’ 7-yard line.
During one of the few moments that the Defenders were trailing in Saturday’s game, Ta’amu and Mickens helped chip away at the Panthers’ lead after connecting for a 66-yard reception. The play got the Defenders down to the Panthers’ 9-yard line, setting them up for a field goal early in the second quarter.
8. Ta’amu and Mickens connect for their first big play
Ta’amu dropped a dime to Mickens for a 26-yard touchdown on a third-and-10 play in the middle of the first quarter.
7. Panthers WR Malik Turner spins his way for six
The Panthers kept fighting late in Saturday’s game despite trailing 52-19. After hauling in a pass from QB Bryce Perkins, Turner ran downfield and spun out of a Defenders’ tackler to reach the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown.
6. Defenders WR Seth Williams makes a big grab
Plenty of Defenders’ playmakers got in on the fun in Saturday’s game. Williams was among them, making a long 46-yard reception on a deep pass from Ta’amu late in the third quarter.
UFL Top 10 Plays from UFL Championship | UFL
5. Defenders WR Chris Rowland backflips his way into the end zone
DC poured it on until the end of Saturday’s title game, with Rowland rushing for a 19-yard touchdown before showing off some acrobatics to put the finishing touches on the win.
4. Defenders run “Philly Special” on two-point conversion
After scoring a touchdown late in the first half, the Defenders dialed up some trickery. Mickens took his turn to throw a completion to Ta’amu, finding his quarterback in the end zone after getting the ball on an end-around to complete the two-point conversion and extend their lead to 31-13.
3. Panthers RB Nate McCrary dashes away for six
Michigan got the first big play of the game when McCrary rushed for a 35-yard touchdown, grabbing a 6-0 lead.
2. Turner takes off for long TD
Right after the Defenders ran the “Philly Special” to add to their lead, the Panthers found the end zone with a long touchdown. Perkins lobbed a pass to Turner, who turned a 10-yard completion into a 71-yard touchdown by breaking multiple tackles and dragging a Defenders player with him into the end zone.
1. Ta’amu throws another deep TD to cap off wild first half
The back-and-forth scoring between the Defenders and the Panthers in the final two minutes of the first half of Saturday’s game concluded with Ta’amu throwing a deep 73-yard touchdown to Ty Scott. The score gave the Defenders a 37-19 lead with 27 seconds remaining in the first half.
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