Ilia Topuria is set to defend his lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje in the headline bout of the upcoming UFC White House event. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira will step up to the heavyweight division to face Ciryl Gane for the interim title on June 14 while current champion Tom Aspinall is in recovery from double eye surgery. Notably, Conor McGregor will not be part of this card and is scheduled to make his return to action on July 11.
Michael Chandler, who was previously linked to a fight with McGregor on the White House lawn, will instead face Mauricio Ruffy. Additionally, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will take on Aiemann Zahabi. The event’s lineup includes Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus and Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia.
Speaking about the event, UFC CEO Dana White expressed excitement for the matchups, highlighting the potential for Pereira and Topuria to make significant impacts. White acknowledged the challenges in finalizing the fight card but confirmed its completion and readiness for Washington, D.C.
Regarding Tom Aspinall’s future, White mentioned Pereira’s fight with Gane could determine the next steps, possibly leading to a matchup between Pereira and Aspinall. Furthermore, there will be no comeback for Jon Jones, who was previously rumored to face Pereira following his decision to vacate the light-heavyweight title and move up in weight.
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