Defenders' rout of Panthers in UFL title game proves who the true MVP is

At the start of the fourth quarter, DC Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu stood among his teammates as they chanted "M-V-P! M-V-P!" before sealing a 58-34 rout of the Michigan Panthers in the 2025 UFL Championship Game on Saturday.

Ta'amu's evening was made that much sweeter with newly minted UFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and All-UFL QB Bryce Perkins standing on the opposite sideline. 

Ta'amu, the league’s leader in passing touchdowns, continued what is the most impressive season by a passer in UFL history with 390 passing yards, completing 75% of his passes (21 of 28) for four touchdowns — in three quarters. At halftime, Ta’amu had completed 16 of 20 passes for 320 yards, as everything the Defenders did offensively worked.

His counterpart, Perkins, finished with 338 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception, completing 60% of his throws (21 of 35). Perkins completed eight of 13 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

"I’d rather have a championship with the team than my own individual honors," Ta’amu said.

Here are a couple of my biggest takeaways from Saturday's tilt.

Heading into this matchup, the Defenders knew they had a large advantage: their No. 1-ranked passing offense against the Panthers’ dead-last passing defense. Instead of outsmarting themselves, Coach of the Year Shannon Harris and Assistant Coach of the Year Fred Kaiss dialed up an offensive game plan that led to the Defenders putting up more than 500 yards of total offense and 50 points in three quarters against the USFL Conference champions.

Before the game began, Michigan likely thought it had its own psychological and statistical advantages. The Panthers beat the Defenders by double digits, 38-14, in Week 6 of the regular