Ilia Topuria is set to defend his lightweight world title 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 championship on June 14 as reigning champion Tom Aspinall recuperates from double eye surgery. Notably, Conor McGregor, who had expressed interest in participating, will not be on the card and is expected to return to action on July 11.
The event will also feature Michael Chandler in a matchup against Mauricio Ruffy, with Sean O’Malley, a former bantamweight world champion, taking on Aiemann Zahabi. Completing the six-fight card are Bo Nickal versus Kyle Daukaus and Diego Lopes versus Steve Garcia.
UFC CEO Dana White commented, “We have a unique situation with fighters like Pereira and Topuria who have the chance to achieve remarkable success. The showdown between Topuria and Gaethje promises to be explosive.” White acknowledged the challenges in assembling the card, mentioning last-minute changes, but expressed readiness for the event in Washington, D.C.
Regarding the future of Tom Aspinall, White remained non-committal, stating, “Pereira’s move to heavyweight to face Gane presents an intriguing matchup. Depending on the outcome, we will assess potential matchups, including a possible clash with Aspinall.”
The announcement ruled out a return for Jon Jones, the former light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion, who had been rumored to face Pereira after the latter’s decision to vacate his 205lb title and move up in weight class.
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