Who Will Be Fighting on the White House Lawn?

On June 14th, history will be made as the first UFC card takes place at the White House. Now, with less than four months to go, the lineup remains a tightly guarded secret. This has only made the rumours even more intense, and below we attempt to separate the fact from fiction.

Topuria vs. Gaethje

For many, this is the most likely main event at the White House. It will be a lightweight unification title bout between interim Champion Justin Gaethje and the current Champion Ilia Topuria.

An interim champion is someone who holds the title while the main title holder cannot compete, usually due to injury or legal issues. They then usually get to compete for the title once the original holder returns.

Gaethje has held the belt while Topuria has dealt with legal issues. These include allegations of domestic abuse, which have kept him out of the octagon for some time. This has now been resolved, meaning he is free to compete. Gaethje is also the current male American UFC champion, making him a sure sight on the White House lawn.

Will McGregor Return?

July 2021 was the last time McGregor set foot in UFC. This resulted in a broken leg at the hands of Dustin Poirier. He has vocally expressed a desire to return for the White House event, and rumors have circulated that it would be Conor McGregor vs Colby Covington. However, this was soon quashed by Dana White.

Colby Covington has said that he does not think McGregor wants the fight with him, mainly because McGregor can choose his fights and won’t want the fight that Covington will bring. It is well known that the McGregor camp is going all guns blazing, and it seems that he wouldn’t be doing this without a reason.

Undoubtedly, McGregor’s return will be a money spinner for UFC and bookmakers. With the NFL season over, having this big comeback makes so much sense. Many people will also be looking for new daily fantasy sports, and may be surprised to find that you can build a card for the White House event. You can browse through the best DFS apps here, learning how to build a card and play the game with MMA.

Three Possible Fighters

On a recent podcast, Eric Trump named three fighters that he said must be on the card. However, there was no official UFC announcement about this, though his opinion obviously lends some credence and weight.

One of these was Alex Pereira. However, he has had issues with Dana White, who has said he may not trust putting him on it. Another was Jon Jones, who Eric believes has one last fight in him, and the White House could be the place to do it. Lastly, there was the Conor McGregor comeback, further fanning the flames.

Thus, the card is still very much open. It seems likely the Topuria vs. Gaethje fight will take place, and McGregor will be on the card against someone. The rest is unwritten and may be announced in the next few weeks.