Ilia Topuria is set to defend his lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje in the headline 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, as current champion Tom Aspinall is recovering from eye surgery.
Notably absent from the card is Conor McGregor, who disclosed that he was not included in the event and is expected to make his return to the octagon on July 11. Michael Chandler will instead face Mauricio Ruffy, and former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is scheduled to fight Aiemann Zahabi. The card will also feature Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus and Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia in addition to these matchups.
UFC CEO Dana White expressed excitement about the event, highlighting the competitive matchups and the efforts put into finalizing the fight card. Speculation continues regarding the future of heavyweight champion Aspinall, with potential matchups against Pereira or others depending on the outcomes of upcoming fights.
Furthermore, former champions such as Jon Jones will not be making a comeback for this event, as confirmed in the recent announcement. The event promises thrilling action for fans, with White emphasizing the anticipation for the fights ahead.