Ilia Topuria’s UFC return may not happen in Washington D.C. in any case.
One among the leading topics in 2026 has been the UFC’s plan to stage an event on the White House lawn on June 14.
Plenty of huge names need to be a part of the national celebration, with Jon Jones and Conor McGregor amongst those calling to headline the cardboard.
Recent reports suggested that Topuria’s unification fight against Justin Gaethje was prone to get essential event status on the White House. But the most recent update has suggested that plans might be changing.
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Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje just isn’t as likely for UFC White House because it previously was
In response to Spanish reporter Alvaro Colmenero, the probabilities of Gaethje’s third crack on the undisputed lightweight belt headlining the White House event have “decreased.”
That fight gave the impression to be a no brainer for the UFC after Gaethje beat Paddy Pimblett to grow to be a two-time interim lightweight champion.
Not many US stars are as popular as ‘The Highlight’, making him a logical selection for the essential event of a card celebrating 250 years of American independence.
But Colmenero has suggested that “geopolitical and economic” reasons could delay Topuria vs Gaethje until a later event.
“Regarding Ilia Topuria’s fight against Gaethje on the White House: The fight has NOT been signed, and despite being a possibility, the probabilities of it happening there have decreased,” Colmenero wrote on X.
“There are several geopolitical and economic arguments against the fight being held on the WH,” he added.
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Who else could headline the UFC White House event?
Should Colmenero’s report be an indication that the UFC does produce other plans, it’s unclear what those could also be.
Various hurdles already appeared to eliminate among the top stars from the White House equation. While Dana White has rejected Jones’ comeback pleas consistently for months, other aspects could dent McGregor’s hopes.
The elimination of the pay-per-view model under the $7.7 billion Paramount broadcast deal and the dearth of a live gate for the White House event have been labeled as aspects that would prevent the UFC’s biggest star from being booked for June 14.
Beyond those names, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira would likely be the following top option. The Brazilian has already been drafted in to rescue a significant event, UFC 300, and talk of a move as much as heavyweight would add a historic title try to the White House lineup.