Defenders' monster TDs highlight top plays from UFL Championship Game
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. 9. Defenders QB Jordan Ta'amu and WR Jaydon Mickens link up for huge gain
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. 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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