And then there were two. 

It all comes down to this, as the DC Defenders take on the Michigan Panthers in the 2025 UFL Championship Game on Saturday evening at The Dome of America’s Center in St. Louis. 

The Panthers handled the Defenders in the teams’ singular meeting earlier this season — a 38-14 victory in Week 6. However, Michigan head coach Mike Nolan knows this time will be very different, with the 2025 title on the line.

“They’re a better football team, and I’d like to think we are a better football team too,” Nolan said. “I think it will be a very good game. They are very explosive on offense. … We’ve got two really good offenses going to battle in this football game, and you’ve got two really good defenses as well, so I think it will be an entirely different game than the first one for all kinds of reasons. 

“It’s a lot more meaningful, and I think their team has improved an awful lot since we played them last time. They were going through a lot of transitions with the coaching change in the middle of the season and things like that, and they were just adapting to the new things. … Right now, they’re running on all cylinders. They’re doing a real good job.”

Defenders head coach Shannon Harris recently earned UFL Coach of the Year honors for how he deftly handled the departure of former head coach Reggie Barlow and ex-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, leading DC to a 6-4 regular-season record, a postseason berth and a spot in a spring football championship for the second time in three seasons. 

Harris and the Defenders throttled the St. Louis Battlehawks on their home turf last week, 38-16, in the XFL Conference title game. Their reward? Facing a Michigan squad that is peaking at just the right time after defeating the defending champion Birmingham Stallions on the road in the USFL Conference title game, 44-29, to advance.

Here’s a closer look at what to watch for in the 2025 UFL Championship Game.

1. How can the Panthers slow down Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu?

The engine of the Defenders’ offense all season and the most impactful player in the UFL, Ta’amu will be tough to contain for a Michigan defense allowing 292 passing yards a contest — the fourth-worst mark in the regular season.

Ta’amu finished first in passing touchdowns (17) and second in passing yards (2,153) during the regular season. He totaled 204 passing yards and a score in last week’s win over the Battlehawks. If the Panthers want to win Saturday’s title game, defensively they must limit the Defenders’ explosive passing game led by Ta’amu.

The Defenders have balance on offense, too. Deon Jackson ran for 110 yards and two scores on 21 carries last week.

2. How can the Defenders bottle up Michigan’s running game?

In the previous matchup between these two teams, the Panthers rolled up 213 yards on the ground on their way to a convincing victory at Ford Field. Toa Taua has been the catalyst for Michigan’s running game. He finished the regular season sixth in the UFL with 356 yards and led the league with six rushing touchdowns. Taua kept it going in the postseason, picking up 85 rushing yards and three scores in Michigan’s win over Birmingham. 

The Defenders have struggled to stop the run, however, allowing 118 rushing yards per contest in the regular season. They also allowed the second most rushing touchdowns (12) and the most yards per carry (4.8) in the UFL this year.

3. Who will win the turnover battle?

One of the areas Michigan has struggled with this year is forcing turnovers. The Panthers finished with just 10 takeaways during the regular season — only the Memphis Showboats (2-8) had fewer during the year (five).

The Defenders forced 16 turnovers and finished with a plus-5 turnover differential during the regular season, while the Panthers finished with a minus-2 turnover differential over that same span. The Panthers did win the turnover battle last week against the Stallions, however, coaxing three takeaways and losing a fumble. 

“In order to win a championship, you want to play a clean game,” Nolan said. “It’s very difficult for any team — this goes for DC or us — to win any game, especially a championship game if you’re not playing a clean game.”

4. Who is the X-factor for the Panthers?

Quarterback Bryce Perkins, the 2025 UFL Offensive Player of the Year, finished second in passing touchdowns (nine) and completion percentage (69%) and fourth in passing yards (1,342) despite missing three games with an ankle injury. What makes Perkins difficult to contain is his ability to create chunk plays with his feet. Perkins finished with 269 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns for the Panthers during the regular season. Only the Battlehawks’ Max Duggan rushed for more yards as a quarterback (299). Perkins rushed for 34 yards and a score last week. 

How the Defenders attack Perkins and his ability to run the ball will go a long way in deciding this game’s outcome.

5. Who are the X-factors for the Defenders?

The Defenders led the UFL in tackles for loss (59) and finished third with 22.0 sacks. One of the reasons for their success defensively has been the one-two pass-rushing punch of defensive ends Derek Roberson and Andre Mintz.

The Defenders were the only team in the UFL with two players who finished with at least five sacks. Both Roberson and Mintze totaled 5.5 sacks each, while All-UFL performer defensive tackle Joe Wallace finished second in the league in tackles for loss (10) and totaled 4.5 sacks. 

The Defenders’ front seven has the tough task of slowing down Michigan’s running game and putting consistent pressure on Perkins in the passing game if they want to wear the crown this year.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams.

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