Who will fight at UFC White House event? Ten stars who could carry the card

This summer, nan UFC plans to clasp an unprecedented show astatine nan White House, which could characteristic galore immense fights connected nan South Lawn – arsenic portion of a bid of events to commemorate nan United States’ 250th anniversary.

Scheduled for 14 June, the time that Donald Trump will move 80, nan paper is group to characteristic a big of high-profile fighters, pinch nan US president claiming “almost each conflict [on nan card]” will beryllium a title contest.

And while Ari Emanuel – CEO of nan UFC’s ownership group, TKO – has now said “six to seven” fights are expected, arsenic opposed to nan “eight aliases nine” predicted by Mr Trump, that has evidently done thing to quell rumours astir imaginable match-ups. Furthermore, a number of apical stars person publically called their changeable to beryllium involved.

Elsewhere, location has been talk of snipers and limited instrumentality access.

With UFC president Dana White, a adjacent friend of Mr Trump, saying matchmaking has finished, present are 10 fighters The Independent thinks could characteristic connected nan card:

Conor McGregor

Despite Dana White confirming that nan Irishman will not beryllium facing Michael Chandler aft years of build, Jorge Masvidal, aliases Colby Covington (“total BS”), nan UFC icon is hopeless to beryllium involved. He has claimed to beryllium starting negotiations for a caller UFC contract from February, having not fought since breaking his limb successful 2021. However, White has said nan paper is “built” and “if [McGregor’s fight] was done and he accepted it, I would denote it”; does that mean he is not going to prima connected nan South Lawn?

Jon Jones

Tied to a imaginable showdown pinch light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, nan arguable American has seemed much receptive to fighting nan Brazilian than heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall, contempt a agelong saga successful which nan brace each held a type of nan loop successful that division. Don’t hide Jones’s ceremony directed astatine Trump after beating Stipe Miocic successful 2024. Actually, Jones retired from MMA past summer, only to declare days later that he would return for nan White House event, but White openly said he does not spot Jones – who has a history of grounded supplier tests and arrests.

Jorge Masvidal

While Dana White said a conflict betwixt Masvidal and McGregor is “goofy s***”, nan erstwhile “Baddest Motherf*****” (BMF) loop holder has been hinting that specified a conflict is close, and he has gone arsenic acold arsenic to say: “The White House card, for me, is everything.” A White House conflict would beryllium Masvidal’s first successful nan UFC since he retired from MMA successful 2023.

Sean O’Malley

A large American sanction successful nan sport, O’Malley has been vocal astir really he wants to conflict Petr Yan connected nan White House card, though Merab Dvalishvili said nary Russian fighters will beryllium competing astatine nan arena – seemingly ruling retired nan likes of Islam Mackhachev, excessively – but O’Malley’s eagerness for nan arena could lead him to star. Will he characteristic if he fails against Song Yadong connected 24 January, though?

Israel Adesanya

The erstwhile middleweight champion has said he is open to fighting connected nan paper arsenic agelong arsenic 1 information is met, which is that he hopes immoderate “actual” fans of nan athletics are location alternatively than group without a genuine liking successful MMA. Based connected what we know, he shouldn’t get his hopes up... Either way, having “Izzy” connected nan paper would still correspond a large draw. First he must hit Joe Pyfer successful a tricky trial successful March.

Derrick Lewis

Lewis grounded to get complete nan statement against Waldo Cortes-Acosta successful January, erstwhile a triumph would person conveniently group him up to conflict connected nan South Lawn. The “Black Beast” himself called nan mega-card a “on[c]e successful a lifetime” opportunity, and, for illustration Masvidal, Lewis tin declare to beryllium 1 of Trump’s favourite fighters – truthful don’t norm him retired yet.

Max Holloway

Having already been called retired by featherweight Jean Silva to conflict for nan BMF title astatine nan White House, Holloway instantly unopen this down by calling Silva “a weirdo”, but a combatant for illustration Holloway pinch specified an breathtaking style could easy drawback nan eyes of nan higher-ups. First, he takes connected Charles Oliveira in a mouthwatering BMF title defence successful March.

Mackenzie Dern

At nan clip of writing, nan women’s strawweight champion is 1 of conscionable 2 American title holders successful nan UFC. The other, Kayla Harrison, is recovering from a awesome cervix injury. So, Dern would make consciousness to feature, and a defence against predecessor Zhang Weili could make for a spectacular clash.

Ilia Topuria

Topuria’s return to nan sport, after his hiatus owed to individual reasons, could statement up pinch nan event, arsenic he replied “April-June” to a instrumentality connected X, who asked erstwhile he was readying connected returning. The lightweight champion’s bitter rival Paddy Pimblett grounded to triumph nan interim type of Topuria’s loop successful January, but his conqueror Justin Gaethje whitethorn get a changeable astatine Topuria this summer.

Alex Pereira

Despite seemingly taking himself retired of nan mix, “Poatan” remains linked to a imaginable conflict pinch Jones. White hasn’t ruled retired a bout betwixt nan pair, and it would apt make for 1 of nan biggest main events successful UFC history. Perhaps Pereira’s “no-go” remark connected nan White House was simply a speech tactic...