TLDR
- Khamzat Chimaev called out Alex Pereira on social media for a fight at the UFC White House event planned for June 2026
- Chimaev claimed Pereira is ‘scared’ to fight him and accused the Brazilian of avoiding the matchup
- The undefeated middleweight champion wants to defend his title once before moving up to light heavyweight
- Pereira recently suggested the White House event is off the table for him and is targeting Jon Jones instead
- No fights have been officially announced for the historic UFC White House card scheduled for June 14
Sources: Sports Illustrated | theScore | MMA Fighting
UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev called out light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira on social media Monday for a fight at the UFC’s planned White House event. The undefeated fighter posted on X that he wants to face Pereira next summer.
“Let’s go White House. Don’t worry, I will finish you fast Alex Pereira,” Chimaev wrote in his initial callout.
The UFC is planning a historic event on White House grounds later this year, though no firm date has been announced. UFC CEO Dana White has said the promotion will begin booking fights for the card in February.
Chimaev followed up his first post with another message claiming Pereira is avoiding the matchup. “All Brazilian fans tell this boy if you’re not scared tell him to fight,” the 31-year-old wrote.
Khamzat Chimaev continues to call out Alex Pereira, urging the UFC light heavyweight champ to face him at the historic White House card. Pereira hasn’t committed, while Chimaev pushes for a two-division title shot after becoming middleweight champion. #UFC #Chimaev #Pereira #MMA… pic.twitter.com/OWu4wuv1yX
— Alkass English (@alkassenglish) January 12, 2026
Pereira Cools on White House Fight
Pereira previously expressed interest in competing at the White House event. However, a recent social media post from the Brazilian suggested the card may be off the table for him.
“Looks like the White House is a NO GO!!!” Pereira wrote. The light heavyweight champion recently indicated he has his sights set on moving up in weight for a potential fight with currently-retired UFC legend Jon Jones.
Pereira is in his third UFC title reign and second with the light heavyweight belt. He regained the 205-pound championship with a first-round knockout of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 in October.
Chimaev captured the middleweight title in August at UFC 319, defeating Dricus du Plessis via lopsided unanimous decision. The victory improved his professional MMA record to 15-0.
Middleweight Champion Eyes Two Divisions
This is not the first time Chimaev has targeted Pereira for a superfight. In December, Chimaev said he wanted to defend his middleweight belt once before moving up to light heavyweight to pursue double-champion status.
“I don’t think he wants that fight,” Chimaev said last month about Pereira. “Everyone knows this guy is not on my level. That’s why he’s running away.”
Chimaev has not yet defended his middleweight title since winning it five months ago. Nassourdine Imavov is the current number one contender at 185 pounds following his second-round knockout of former two-time champion Israel Adesanya at UFC Paris.
Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez will also make their cases for a title shot when they headline UFC Houston next month. Chimaev has not competed more than once in a calendar year since 2022.
Ranked number three pound-for-pound in the UFC, Chimaev has been one of the most dominant fighters in the sport since his 2020 debut. His list of victories includes du Plessis and former champions Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman.
The UFC White House event is tentatively scheduled for June 14, ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence in July. No fights have been made official for the card yet.
