Published on: February 16, 2026, 08:18h.
Updated on: February 16, 2026, 08:27h.
- UFC President Dana White confirms his visit to Washington this week to discuss the upcoming White House UFC event scheduled for June with President Donald Trump.
- Speculation is rife about a potential Gaethje-Topuria lightweight title unification fight.
- The White House card will showcase only half the fights typically seen at UFC “numbered” events.
The highly anticipated UFC event at the White House will present fewer fights than usual, with UFC CEO Dana White indicating that the fights planned for June 14 will deliver a significantly greater impact.
Ari Emanuel, CEO and Executive Chairman of TKO Group, recently commented on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the event would consist of about six to seven fights, which is below the usual number. White confirmed that the highly anticipated card, set on the White House lawn to honor America’s 250th anniversary, is now finalized.
UFC icons Conor McGregor and Jon Jones have expressed a desire to compete at this notable event. While Jones is currently retired, McGregor hasn’t fought in five years following a TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier. He has shown interest in battling Michael Chandler, initially scheduled for UFC 303 in June 2024, but had to withdraw due to a toe injury. McGregor has had a challenging run, losing three of his last four UFC bouts.
250th Anniversary Celebrations at the White House
Interestingly, the timing of the White House event aligns perfectly with a proposed lightweight title unification bout between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria.
Gaethje recently defeated Paddy Pimblett in a spectacular match at UFC 324, becoming the interim titleholder. Conversely, lightweight champion Ilia Topuria took a hiatus from the UFC in late 2025 to address personal matters, which included a separation and subsequent allegations of extortion.
However, media sources recently reported that Topuria is back in training.
At the Zuffa Boxing 3 news conference yesterday, White provided updates regarding the White House card.
Gaethje vs. Topuria?
“We’ve explored two different scenarios, and the matchmaking process is already underway,” White stated. “The White House card was completed last week.”
When inquired about the number of title fights on the card, White smiled and remarked, “I’m keeping that under wraps.”
White mentioned that he was traveling to Washington this week alongside UFC Executive Vice President of Operations and Production, Craig Borsari, to brief President Trump and his team about the event plans. He noted that the announcement details are still pending.
Betting Odds
“We will guide them through not only the production aspects but also the fight card,” White commented. “We have multiple options for various production elements and we’ll see what resonates with him. But rest assured, this event promises to be exceptionally exciting, unique, and extravagant.”
Current odds at DraftKings show Topuria at -400 to become the UFC lightweight champion by December 31, 2026, followed by Arman Tsarukyan at +350, Gaethje at +400, Max Holloway at +700, Charles Oliveira at +800, and Benoit Saint-Denis at +900.