UFC prepares for historic event at the White House on June 14

UFC takes over White House lawn for seven-fight card The stratospheric rise of the UFC’s Dana White UFC to pay fighters in crypto from Trump company Reach out to Bryan on Bluesky or by email Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Joseph Gedeon’s lookahead to tonight’s semiquincentennial cage-fighting spectacular. Continue reading...

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: (L-R) Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje pose on the South Lawn in front of the White House on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Zuffa LLC) It’s time for UFC White House: The Octagon on the South Lawn. Twelve months ago, the thought of the UFC holding an event at the actual frigging White House felt like a pipe dream despite the bold declarations of Dana White and his close buddy President Donald Trump. Tonight, with a gigantic claw hovering over the cage to accommodate a rare outdoor event for the promotion, actual MMA fights will take place at the historic landmark with all seven bouts having high stakes. Will Ilia Topuria triumph in his first fight in a year or can sentimental favorite Justin Gaethje finally climb to the very top of the lightweight ladder? Is Alex Pereira about to make history by becoming the first man to capture UFC titles in three divisions or is Ciryl Gane destined for a grudge match with undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall? Does Aiemann Zahabi really have a chance to beat Sean O’Malley? Is the Josh Hokit Show ready for primetime? Is Mauricio Ruffy guaranteed to style on Michael Chandler? Is Bo Nickal a real contender at middleweight? Will Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia be an instant Fight of the Year candidate? And again, all of this is happening at THE WHITE HOUSE? Absurd. Soon we get to find out if any of Sunday’s fights can possibly live up to the unbelievable circumstances surrounding them. What: UFC White House Where: The White House in Washington, D.C. When: Sunday, June 14. The seven-fight main card begins at 8 p.m. ET with the entire event streaming live on Paramount+. (Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings) Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje Picture this: Justin Gaethje, weathered and worn, locked in an extended battle with Ilia Topuria, the two warriors cracking away at each other in the championship rounds. Determination etched on Gaethje’s face, blood streaking down one side, an almost disturbing look in his eyes letting everyone know he’s willing to go farther than he’s ever gone to become the undisputed champion of the world. He wears Topuria down. Brutal calf kicks. Rib-roasting body shots. The right hook finds a home. Again. And again. Topuria falls. The referee gives him every chance to recover, but Gaethje is relentless. Coffin nails. The fight is stopped. Gaethje celebrates. It’s all a blur. He wants to do a flip off the cage wall, but can’t even figure out what direction the cage wall is in the chaos. Gold around his waist. A microphone in his face. A heartfelt, rambling speech, and then… retirement. Gaethje goes out on top. OK. Dream scenario out of the way, the reality is that Topuria can’t lose this fight. He’s younger, technically superior on the feet, and might even be able to match Gaethje in the power punching department. I mean, Topuria put down Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, two guys who beat Gaethje. The MMA Math never lies. Part of what makes Gaethje’s style so appealing is his ability to take the hits and keep on going, but that’s not a viable strategy here. Topuria has a well-earned reputation as a sniper and it won’t take long for him to shut Gaethje down once he starts connecting. Gaethje is more than a one-dimensional brawler, but he still seeks that car crash thrill and won’t back down from Topuria even if it’s for his own good. The fight that keeps coming to mind for me is Gaethje vs. Eddie Alvarez, the first man to defeat Gaethje. He never let Gaethje establish a rhythm, patiently broke him down, and then delivered the big finish in Round 3. I expect Toopuria to execute a similar game plan, only much faster. Pick: Topuria Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane Fine, I’ll say it. I don’t like Alex Pereira at heavyweight. I’m fully aware there’s not much of a gap between light heavyweight and heavyweight these days, with several heavys just being light heavys that don’t want to cut weight (Josh Hokit, I’m looking at you). So “Poatan” moving up a division isn’t all that crazy from a physique and athleticism standpoint. Then you remember that Pereira has beaten agile opponents in the past, like Israel Adesanya, and Ciryl Gane starts to look like a favorable matchup. Then you also remember that Pereira historically had a ton of trouble with Adesanya both in kickboxing and MMA, including in their first UFC fight that nearly ended in an Adesanya decision win before Pereira scored a late TKO. A speedy opponent with tricky striking and good defense? Sounds kind of like Gane. No matter the division, Pereira is a threat to knock out anyone and Gane is no different. Gane’s striking defense is excellent, though, and it’s difficult to imagine him getting caught clean by a Pereira shot. Gane went toe-to-toe with Ngannou and turned him into a wrestler. Pereira is a better striker than Ngannou, but then you factor in that Gane is a true heavyweight while Pereira is having to bulk up to chase history. No, I don’t like it. As cool is it would be to see a fighter win titles in three UFC divisions (interim still counts, technically!), I see Gane winning a decision and spoiling the Poatan party. Pick: Gane Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi Yes, Aiemann Zahabi can beat Sean O’Malley. I’m definitely giving Zahabi too much credit because of the Firas Zahabi-Georges-St-Pierre connection, but it’s not completely crazy to think Zahabi could channel “GSP” and use a takedown-heavy strategy to pull off this upset, right? I mean, he hasn’t really done it before, but it’s possible! Zahabi just knows how to win fights and that can take you a long way. Far enough to get past O’Malley? That’s another question. O’Malley is a potent striker with higher finishing potential, despite what his past few fights have shown. Don’t let the run of decisions fool you, there’s no shame in not being able to put away Merab Dvalishvili, Marlon Vera, and Song Yadong. If Zahabi leaves his chin out, O’Malley will find it. As technically skilled as Zahabi is, his defense still leaves something to be desired, and that’s going to make the difference here. Zahabi got away with getting cracked by Aldo, but against the younger, fitter O’Malley, if he gets hurt early, it’s only going to get worse from there. Unless he can consistently take O’Malley down, Zahabi won’t win this. O’Malley by knockout. Pick: O’Malley Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis I think Josh Hokit the personality (or personalities, I guess?) is dumb. But Josh Hokit the fighter? Pretty damn entertaining! Just 28 years old, we still don’t know if Hokit is actually championship material, but it can’t be overstated how impressive that win over Curtis Blaydes was. We already knew Hokit was a step above the middle of the heavyweight pack based on his first two UFC wins. Blaydes presented a huge step up in competition (seriously, look at who Blaydes has fought and look at who Hokit has fought) and Hokit just went at him for 15 minutes. It wasn’t pretty and there were more than a few moments where it looked like the result would go the other way, but Hokit got it done. He’s one of the most athletic big men on the roster and now we get to see if he can power through a 41-year-old Derrick Lewis. “The Black Beast” has seen mixed results in recent years, at times looking like the UFC’s fearsome knockout king, at other times looking unmotivated and easily beatable. A best-case scenario sees Lewis either stuffing Hokit’s takedown attempts or shrugging off his attempts at ground offense and forcing a standup battle, because if that happens, Hokit won’t be able to eat Lewis’ shots like he did Blaydes’. Lewis could easily be the one to hand Hokit a concussive first loss. Unfortunately for Lewis, his days of beating top 10 fighters is behind him. And believe it or not, that’s what Hokit is after getting past Blaydes. He’s going to rush Lewis, slice up his defenses, and bury him with ground-and-pound. Pick: Hokit Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler Trotting Michael Chandler out to get flatlined by a Conor McGregor clone instead of actually giving him the Conor McGregor fight is just cruel. That’s a reductive way of describing Mauricio Ruffy, but the comparison exists for a reason. He’s light on his feet, keeps his hands low and, oh yeah, when he hits you clean, you usually stay down. Even Chandler’s iron chin will break down if he tries to just wade through Ruffy’s precision strikes. Will we finally see the return of D-1 All-American Chandler? It’s amazing how the best version of Chandler in Bellator was so much more willing to take a tactical approach, and he hasn’t bothered to fight like that since joining the UFC. On the other hand, he keeps getting big fight after big fight and his popularity has only grown over the past few years, so he’s doing something right. What he’s not doing is winning and if he plans to stand and trade with Ruffy, that trend will surely continue. Chandler made it to the White House on his own terms and he’s going to leave it on his own terms, which means he’s throwing down. And then going down. Hard. Pick: Ruffy Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus My Best Friend Mike Heck has been riding the Kyle Daukaus upset train for months now and you know what? We ride together, we die together, Bad Boys for life. It’s more than just a vibes pick. Bo Nickal is talented, we all know that, and his immense promise is starting to translate into real results. He’s more comfortable on the feet and he always has his elite wrestling to fall back on. So far, he hasn’t come close to putting it all together against meaningful competition, but maybe that starts with Daukaus. The problem is Daukaus won’t give him time to figure things out. Daukaus fights like a man in a hurry and for good reason. A year ago, he wasn’t even in the UFC; now, he’s fighting in front of the President of the United States. Life comes at you fast and Daukaus is embracing the moment. He’s not looking to outwork Nickal and win on the cards, he’s hunting for that first-round finish. Will this bring out the best in Nickal or completely throw him off his game? Pushing the pace early could benefit Daukaus even if he doesn’t end things in Round 1. We saw Nickal struggle under duress in the Reinier de Ridder fight and if things aren’t going his way, he could wilt again. Tonight, we find out if Nickal is an actual fighter or just a martial artist, if you get what I mean. Daukaus for the win. Pick: Daukaus Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia Let’s just assume this fight is happening and Diego Lopes isn’t being called up to fight in the main event. So weird. I guarantee these dudes “understand the assignment,” as the kids say. Expect Lopes and Steve Garcia to come out swinging, at least to start. These two aren’t just hard-swinging knuckleheads, but they won’t be able to resist the temptation of kicking off this UFC White House Card without at least a couple of breathtaking exchanges. When the action settles down, Lopes should utilize his slick grappling to minimize the risk of Garcia catching him with a stray strike. Lopes’ gung-ho style sometimes make people forget how well-rounded and experienced he is, and it’s his fight to lose depending how much he decides to mix the martial arts. Garcia will look to pressure throughout the fight, which should keep this one entertaining. Lopes via decision. Pick: Lopes

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 10: Construction continues on the South Lawn of the White House for the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 match on June 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. Preparations continue in the nation's capital ahead of America's 250th anniversary events. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | Getty Images We’re here. In about 24 hours, the UFC will host an event on the White House South Lawn. It’s a surreal event, given the history of this sport, so let’s talk all about it before this finally happens. Is UFC White House good for the sport? Will this event help or hurt the reputation of MMA among the general public? This is a question I’ve struggled with as we’ve gotten closer to this thing actually happening, and while the reality is we won’t know until long after the event is over, it feels like the answer is that this is going to hurt MMA broadly. Now, whether or not the UFC cares about that is an entirely different thing. But more on that in a moment. First, let’s acknowledge that there are some potential huge positives about this event, not just for the UFC’s bottom line, but for the sport. MMA is a small bubble inside the greater sports bubble. The biggest MMA events reach into that level, drawing interest from people who would otherwise never watch. But this is beyond even that. UFC White House is such a spectacle that there will be the widest possible audience of viewership for this, the kind the sport has never seen before. If some of those people catch the bug, the sport gets bigger. That’s good. Now, for the bad. For as much as Dana White has repeated the lie that this is not a political event, it is one. An event celebrating the birthday of a politician (America 250 is an obvious cover, which is why this is on Sunday and not Saturday), taking place at the literal home of the national executive branch, is inherently political. This would be true regardless of who is in the Oval Office. If somebody tried to burn the White House down while Obama was in office, that wouldn’t have just been some guy burning someone’s home down; it would have been a terrorist act. This is just a fact. Now, just because something is political does not mean it’s bad. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States IS political (it’s celebrating the birth of a literal political entity), but I think most Americans are cool with that in concept. After all, July 4th is a major holiday. But things get murkier given the context. Whatever your political alignment, I think we can all agree that the American public is sharply divided right now, and for a significant portion of the population, America 250 has become about celebrating one man, not the country. And a lot of people in the United States really don’t want to do that. But it’s not just that the UFC has aligned itself with one side of the political aisle. Again, that’s not even a bad thing, necessarily (and it’s been great for the UFC’s profit margins). But this is a demarcating line for the broader public. Sure, people in the MMA bubble are aware of the UFC’s rightward shift since 2016, and the broader public probably has some vague notion about it. But there’s a vast difference between millions of people maybe being aware that Dana White spoke at the Republican National Convention, and everyone in the country knowing the UFC held an event on the White House lawn on Donald Trump’s birthday. A huge chunk of people who were previously slightly negative or ambivalent toward the UFC are now going to hate the UFC and what it stands for. There’s an apocryphal story about Michael Jordan and why he would not make political statements, where he says, “Republicans buy shoes, too.” The UFC has decided it does not care if half the country buys shoes. And while that might be a good choice in the short-term, intentionally alienating people always has long-term ramifications. Bad Weather UFC executive Craig Borsari says they have contingency plans for various issues that might arise while holding an outdoor event, but he didn’t go into specifics. Looking at the weather forecast, D.C. seems like it will get some rain tomorrow, but fairly light, which the promotion seems to be prepared for. If things get worse, though, my sense is that they’ll punt the event. Borsari said the UFC never considered doing an indoor venue or anything else, and the whole premise of UFC White House is to do fights on the White House lawn. If the weather doesn’t comply, it’s not like they can go to the nearest gym. Best guess is they’ll push forward unless is completely untenable, and if that is the case, then they’ll postpone to next weekend. Worst fight? What fight is most likely to put the President to sleep? I know this is likely meant as a jab to the President, but I’m gonna side-step that landmine and speak to a bigger point: the best part about UFC White House is that it’s all gas, no breaks. Seven fights, all of them good. Trashing APEX cards is old hat by now, and road shows are slowly getting worse, too, but for the past few years, we at least could rely on numbered events to maintain a high bar of quality. But in 2026, even that has dropped off dramatically, with more and more replacement-level fights taking up space. Which makes this card stand out so much. It’s like if you took a good numbered event, and then cut the additional five fights of Contender Series people from the undercard. I’d love it if this became the norm (14 fights is way too many for a card, no other sporting event lasts 8 hours), but that’s never going to happen, so I intend to just enjoy this one. But, if I had to choose what the probably “most boring” fight on the card is, I think the obvious answer is Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi. That’s an objectively good fight, but there’s a high likelihood that O’Malley sticks and moves and wins a lackluster decision. Everything else is a banger (or a title fight). Upset What happens if Justin Gaethje somehow upsets Ilia Topuria? I might never stop laughing. I believe that Ilia Topuria is at worst the second-best fighter alive today. But the man is in desperate need of a humbling. He has gone full-blown Conor McGregor, but at least McGregor — in between being deeply annoying — also could be clever or funny. Topuria is just ceaselessly arrogant and entitled, while somehow constantly feeling slighted. It’s maddening to listen to, and it never stops anymore. A loss to Gaethje might give him some perspective. We all need it at times. Plus, if Gaethje wins, it’s one of the biggest upsets in UFC title history, and given the context, a legitimate American sports triumph. A massive American underdog pulls off the upset of the year on the White House lawn? It’s not the Miracle on Ice, but it still gets Gaethje a movie. And it would be a rad conclusion to the career of the most exciting fighter of all time. Thanks for reading, and thank you to everyone who sent in questions! Do you have any burning questions about things at least somewhat related to combat sports? Then you’re in luck, because every week I put a prompt into The Feed for your questions. Fire them into there, and I’ll answer the best ones in the Mailbag, and try to get to the rest in the responses.

The biggest event in mixed martial arts (MMA) history will go down this weekend as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hosts Freedom 250 from the White House South Lawn LIVE on Paramount+ from Washington D.C., but first all the fighters took to the stage for a final pre-fight press conference at the Lincoln Memorial. Leading Sunday’s […]

The UFC is really heading to the Oval Office. On Sunday, the long-awaited UFC White House card finally goes down in Washington, D.C., with a stacked seven-fight card live from the White House South Lawn. But what can we expect from this once-in-a-lifetime event? Undefeated lightweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on interim champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout, while Alex Pereira looks to become the first-ever three-division UFC champion when he fights Ciryl Gane for an interim heavyweight belt. Ahead of this weekend’s action, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and Alexander K. Lee preview all that entails, including breaking down all seven fights, discussing what happens if things go wrong, checking in on the overall vibes of the event with on-site correspondent José Youngs, answering viewer questions, and more. Catch the UFC White House preview show video above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

A UFC championship belt is displayed as US President Donald Trump speaks about the upcoming "UFC Freedom 250" event, in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. An Ultimate Fighting Championship event will be staged on the White House's South Lawn in June. The June 14 event has been dubbed "UFC Freedom 250," in reference to the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations this summer. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images UFC White House is the promotion’s most important show of the year and no matter what happens, history is sure to be made. Will Sunday’s once-in-a-lifetime event be a triumph for the UFC, a culmination of its unbelievable rise from outlaw attraction to mainstream juggernaut? Or will it be plagued by logistical issues? Will the championship fights deliver or just leave us wanting more with the future of the lightweight and heavyweight contender pictures still murky? Will a new star emerge with the opportunity to perform on platform no fighter has ever experienced? We got plenty of questions, so sit down with your MMA Fighting pals Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew as we do our best to figure out what to expect when the octagon lands on the South Lawn. 1. What is your blurb-length preview for UFC White House? Cruz: MMA fighters go to the White House for some fist-fighting on the lawn. Is normal. Heck: It will be a fun spectacle with some very good fights, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t UFC White House’d out at this point. Lee: I speak for all Canadians when I say, from up here, this whole shindig looks completely absurd… absurdly awesome! Martin: A totally non-political event with some great fights happening at the White House on Donald Trump’s birthday! Meshew: If you’ve tuned out for months, this is gonna be great. If you haven’t, you’re ready for this to be over with. 2. How high does Ilia Topuria’s star rise with a win? Meshew: In actuality? Not that much. Ilia Topuria is already one of the biggest stars in the sport, and he’s a massive favorite over Justin Gaethje, who is popular but not a star. This isn’t the kind of opportunity that can launch him to McGregor-level status. Still, it will be good for him to slaughter someone on a highly watched event. But in his head? He will be the biggest star in MMA history, perhaps the history of the world. Other famous people will pale in comparison to him. The Pope would be lucky to get a visit from him. All should cower and bow before his greatness and fame. We’re fortunate to even have eyeballs with which to see a person of his god-emperor status. Cruz: If Topuria does what most of us expect him to do, which means knock out Gaethje to unify the UFC lightweights belts, he will become an even bigger star. He’s already a popular figure in the MMA bubble, and getting the W on a night that pretty much every non-sports outlet will be paying attention, Topuria will make headlines everywhere around the globe. If he pulls a Maximus Decimus Meridius and shouts “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?” next to Gaethje’s unconscious body, I’m losing it. Heck: In today’s UFC, it’s going to be very difficult for Topuria to be a bigger star, and while this one will likely get some new eyeballs on him, it’s kind of a lose-lose for him. You know how the fanbase can be, right? If he wins, well, “He was supposed to win, this isn’t the best guy in the division,” and all of the other things. If he loses, the “fraud check, overrated, wasn’t that good to begin with, he lost to a guy he was supposed to destroy” comments will certainly fill out the social media space. Is he in the best spot on the card? Absolutely. Will a win over Gaethje get him headlining in Spain in his next fight? Nope. What it does do is set him up for a fight that will boost that profile: Either against Makhachev—which I can do without, honestly, but it’ll probably happen—or the true, correct fight: Arman Tsarukyan. Lee: It might not take him to the next level yet, but it gets him one step closer to being the face of the UFC. One could argue he’s already there, but my guess is his Q-Rating is still a notch below the likes of Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and even Islam Makhachev. It doesn’t help that Topuria had to take time off recently to deal with personal matters, especially when you consider that this game passes fighters by faster than ever. That said, one big knockout, one memorable moment, on this stage? The sky is the limit for how far this win could boost Topuria’s profile when it’s all said and done. Martin: Ilia Topuria is already a superstar with the potential to become the face of the UFC over the next couple of years, assuming he can stay healthy and keep winning. Headlining the card at the White House is obviously a big deal, but it almost feels like the spectacle of this event is going to dwarf any individual fighter’s performance unless something truly crazy happens. If Topuria can dismantle and finish Gaethje early, that might allow him to convince the UFC to allow him to pursue a third world title at welterweight but in reality, almost everybody expects him to win so anything outside of a flawless performance might actually hurt him in the long run. 3. How much weight do you put on Alex Pereira becoming a three-division champion? Martin: Alex Pereira winning a third title is definitely a cool accomplishment, but context matters and let’s not forget he’s competing for an interim belt and not an undisputed championship because his opponent took out Tom Aspinall’s eyes in his previous fight. If Pereira can knock out Ciryl Gane and then do the same to Aspinall, that definitely means more to his overall legacy. But the infatuation with winning belts across multiple divisions has been diminished so much because there are now 11 fighters who have accomplished that feat. Before Conor McGregor did it in 2016, there were only two in UFC history. Pereira winning three sets him apart from everybody else, but that might also convince other two division champions to try and do the same (Ilia Topuria, I’m looking at you) and whatever happened to just defending the belt a bunch of times? Miss those days. Meshew: It’s definitely not nothing, but it’s also definitely not what everyone is going to trip over themselves to proclaim it to be. The point of a title is supposed to be to signify that you are the best in the world at that particular weight class. Pereira’s middleweight title was valid (if a bit weak as he never successfully defended it), and his light heavyweight title is bulletproof. But beating the No. 3-ranked heavyweight in the world (who should be No. 4) does not make you the best heavyweight in the world. It makes you the No. 3 heavyweight in the world. That’s just math. If Pereira wins, I’ll view this akin to Anderson Silva’s demolition of Forrest Griffin—a good win, but not “The Best”—it just happens to have a shiny trinket attached because the UFC is doing whatever the hell it wants these days. Cruz: It’s incredible. We’ve had fighters in the past that I would be confident in picking to win titles in three divisions, but they were living in an era where the UFC wasn’t that into in switching weight classes. Tell me, couldn’t Anderson Silva have beaten Randy Couture at heavyweight? “The Natural” was the heavyweight champion when Silva reigned at middleweight, and the 205-pound champ at the time was Forrest Griffin. We all remember how that one ended. Back to Pereira, he’s a unique individual. The things he has able to do and in such short amount of time will never be replicated, and that alone will inevitably earn him a spot on the UFC Hall of Fame—and probably a biopic. Gane is often overlooked because he’s fallen short in his chances to win the UFC title twice before, but he’s no easy match. Some will downplay Pereira’s accomplishment should he win as not being as massive as if he had beaten Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall. I agree, but it’s still huge nonetheless. Heck: As Damon said, context matters, but I’m looking at it in a completely different way. I will certainly put a good amount of weight on it, because it’s sick! Pereira pretty much cleaned out 205, outside of Carlos Ulberg, and he straight smashed Magomed Ankalaev with as much ease as we’ve ever seen in a title fight. That was probably the most impressive feat of his Hall of Fame career and I was fine with him going up. We also have to take into account that heavyweight is, well, not good. But he’s fighting a guy who has been in a lot of title fights, won an interim belt, is a tremendous athlete, and one of the pretty damn good guys in the division (and a guy that was having success against Aspinall before Eyepokegate. This will be huge, and set him up for a ginormous fight with Aspinall, maybe, because who knows when he’s getting back in there with his eye injury. Lee: It’s not doing much for me. Yeah, I’m going to be that guy. He’s not fighting the real No. 1 heavyweight. He’s not fighting the real No. 2 heavyweight. He’s not fighting for a real title. So why do we have to pretend this is… real? Anyone who has listened to me blather about MMA for more than five minutes knows that one of my favorite axioms in combat sports is this: Belts are props. Props that are usually well-deserved and hard-earned, but that’s not always the case. If a title is supposed to mean that a fighter has conquered a division, then how can that significance apply to this situation? Pereira rules and him being fast-tracked into big fights is fun as (Mike) heck, but insisting it’s more historically important than it actually is is just silly. 4. What’s the best-case scenario for how it all plays out? Lee: Nobody loses via TKO (swallowed a bug). Look, I’m all for chaos, and there’s plenty of opportunity for that, but I’ve got to think about the fighters here, and for all the guys that signed up for what is sure to be memorable evening, let’s hope nothing too crazy happens. (I’m also hoping everyone got paid 10 times what they normally make, but we all know that’s not a thing.) So please, all I’m asking is that all of Dana White and co.’s ambitious plans actually play out, the fighters are allowed to do what they do best, and nobody gets bonked on the head by a hastily attached chunk of claw debris. Martin: Seven fights, seven finishes and at least one barnburner to steal the show. People complain, but the UFC White House matchmaking is stellar and there’s real potential for violence in all of these fights. Perhaps Bo Nickal’s matchup against Kyle Daukaus is the only one where you would favor a decision over a knockout or submission, but it’s really tough to believe the rest of the card doesn’t play out with some jaw-dropping finishes. There’s going to be a lot of new eyeballs watching the UFC, perhaps for the first time ever because this is happening at the White House, so an exciting card from start to finish is the dream scenario. Meshew: Personally, I’m hoping for full chaos. Thunderstorms, a plague of locusts, at least one streaker, the works. This is a carnival event, so let’s get weird. Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia are going to get busy. Then after that, I’m pulling for every funny outcome. Kyle Daukaus upsetting Bo Nickal, Michael Chandler pulling off the upset, Derrick Lewis KOing Hokit and then taking his pants off on the White House lawn, Aiemann Zahabi beating Sean O’Malley, Ciryl Gane winning the most boring fight of all time, and then Gaethje pulling of the miracle. Can you imagine all that, plus the venue floods? That could sustain me for a lifetime. Cruz: As Damon said, the sport needs one of those spectacular nights of finishes to make the most of the opportunity to draw new fans. For me personally, even if we don’t get all fights ending in finishes—we likely won’t and I’m looking at you both, O’Malley and Zahabi—I’m just hoping for no drama. No-contests due to accidental eye-pokes? Five-minute breaks and a fighter puking after a low blow? We need a normal night of fights. It will be fun and exciting at times because we’ll have Topuria vs. Gaethje and Lopes vs. Garcia to make up for lost time while UFC tells “the story of America” (or whatever non-political version that is convenient) in between fights. Heck: Obviously, the fights delivering matters more than the results. That’s just how it is these days. So that, plus the two title fights ending early, and Gaethje somehow pulling off the miracle in the octagon with a knockout over Topuria will make it an unforgettable card. We all know what this is, and I’m not here to talk about any of that because I’m viewing it through the lens of it being super cool for the fighters competing. That’s all that matters to me, and quite frankly, for the real, hardcore MMA fans who will be watching UFC Baku the following week when most of the others won’t watch another card all year. With Lopes vs. Garcia setting the tone, hopefully everyone else follows. 5. How can the UFC top this event in the second half of 2026? Heck: In terms of spectacle and pageantry, nothing will. Even Conor McGregor’s return in a few weeks won’t touch this. How they can top this overall is by, you know, giving fans the fights they want. Give us Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan if “El Matador” wins. I’ll be happy to let the Islam fight go. Truly. Give fans a second McGregor fight this year, as well. If it’s the last fight on his deal, who cares? Let him fight it out, and if he wants to stay, and if you truly want him to stay by paying him, then he’ll stay. If not, you’ve proven you can be successful without him. Get some title fights on the books, for crying out loud! Too many of the world’s best fighters have been on the sidelines this year. And most importantly, keep the promotional efforts high once this and UFC 329 are over. Try and do fun stuff! If you do that, all will be well. Lee: Bring Ivan Erslan back so he can fight Ibo Aslan. No? Just me? Fine. Yeah, they’re not topping this spectacle anytime soon. McGregor’s return is big, Pereira potentially fighting Tom Aspinall is big, and even Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison has some juice. But White House big? Forget second half of 2026, I’m not sure if the UFC tops this one for a while (assuming everything goes well, see Question 4). Martin: Assuming McGregor actually makes it to the octagon at UFC 329, he might single-handedly top the White House card with his long awaited return after five years away. Early ticket sales prove McGregor is still the biggest draw in the sport by a wide margin and the interest in his comeback is going to be astronomical. As long as McGregor vs. Holloway 2 happens, the UFC could almost coast through the rest of the year and feel like 2026 is a huge success. Meshew: UFC Colosseum: Zuck vs. Elon. Cruz: It can’t. Nothing will ever top a UFC event at the White House in terms of spectacle, but that’s not a problem. Every single fighter that comes out of that card looking good after a win will mean big business for the UFC the next time they fight, and that’s enough. The promotion had unprecedented years with Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar pulling massive pay-per-view numbers, and getting Topuria, Pereira and Hokit back to the octagon later in 2026 should make Paramount+ and TKO investors happy.

UFC White House is just days away