Ilia Topuria is set to defend his lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje as the headlining bout of the upcoming UFC White House event. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira will step up to the heavyweight division to face Ciryl Gane for the interim title on June 14, filling in for champion Tom Aspinall who is recovering from eye surgery. Notably, Conor McGregor will not be part of this card as he is eyeing a return to action on July 11.
The event will also feature Michael Chandler taking on Mauricio Ruffy and former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley facing Aiemann Zahabi. The fight card will be completed by Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus and Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia.
UFC CEO Dana White expressed enthusiasm for the event, highlighting the competitive matchups and the effort put into finalizing the fight card. He emphasized the significance of the Topuria-Gaethje showdown and praised Pereira’s opportunity to potentially become a triple champion.
Regarding the future of heavyweight champion Aspinall, White hinted at a possible matchup between Pereira and Aspinall if Pereira emerges victorious against Gane. Additionally, it was confirmed that Jon Jones will not make a dramatic return to the octagon for a clash with Pereira after the Brazilian’s decision to move up a weight class.
The event promises to deliver thrilling fights, with fans eagerly anticipating the action-packed matchups scheduled for the UFC’s White House card in Washington, D.C.