TLDR
- UFC is planning a fight card at the White House on June 14, 2026, for America’s 250th anniversary
- Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje is reported as the main event in a lightweight title unification bout
- The card will feature only six or seven fights instead of the usual number for major UFC events
- Dana White confirmed he is meeting with President Trump this week to finalize event details
- Islam Makhachev may defend his welterweight title against Ian Garry at a separate event
Sources: ClutchPoints | GiveMeSport
The UFC is finalizing plans for a fight card at the White House on June 14, with reports indicating lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will face Justin Gaethje in the main event. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed last week that the card is “done” and said he will travel to Washington this week to meet with President Trump about production details.
The event will take place on the front lawn of the White House as part of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel told “The Pat McAfee Show” the card will feature only six or seven fights, fewer than typical UFC numbered events.
The whole discourse about the probable Ilia Topuria-Justin Gaethje #UFCWhiteHouse fight is so confusing but also funny af 💀, did y’all genuinely think the UFC was gonna have an interim LW title fight n then just dismiss it lmfao? Only happened at HW cause Jon Jones is a pussy.. pic.twitter.com/PeBN5ksZOw
— Alex (@MayeXG0nzo) February 17, 2026
Topuria Returns to Face Interim Champion
The reported main event would be a unification bout between Topuria and Gaethje. Topuria stepped away from competition late in 2025 to deal with personal matters, including a marriage separation.
Gaethje earned his second interim lightweight title by defeating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in dominant fashion. The win set up a potential unification fight with Topuria, who holds the undisputed championship.
Media reports last week indicated Topuria has returned to training. At DraftKings, Topuria is currently listed at -400 odds to be UFC lightweight champion by December 31, 2026.
White said at a Zuffa Boxing 3 news conference that “the matchmaking process has already started” for the White House card. He declined to confirm how many title fights would appear on the event.
Production Plans and Presidential Input
White said he and UFC Executive Vice President Craig Borsari will meet with Trump and his team this week. They will present “three different options on all the different production stuff” for the president to review.
“We will start walking them through not just the production, but the fight card we have,” White said. “This event is going to be so badass and so unique and so special, and so expensive.”
White added that he does not yet know how or when the UFC will officially announce the card. UFC legends Conor McGregor and Jon Jones have both expressed interest in fighting at the event, though Jones is retired and McGregor has not fought in five years.
Separate reports from Spain suggest Islam Makhachev will defend his welterweight title against a “natural welterweight” at a different event. Ian Garry has emerged as the leading candidate for that fight.
Garry posted on social media that he traveled to Georgia to work on his wrestling skills in preparation for a potential Makhachev bout. Makhachev captured the welterweight title by dominating Jack Della Maddalena in his division debut.
BetMGM reported that UFC 324, which featured Gaethje’s interim title win, set an all-time handle record for UFC events. The increased betting interest comes as the promotion prepares for its most high-profile event location to date.
