Ilia Topuria is set to defend his lightweight world championship against Justin Gaethje in the headline bout of the upcoming UFC White House event.
Meanwhile, Alex Pereira will be stepping up to the heavyweight division to face Ciryl Gane for the interim title on June 14, filling in for the recovering champion Tom Aspinall. Notably absent from the card will be Conor McGregor, who confirmed his exclusion and plans to make a return to the octagon on July 11.
The fight card will also feature Michael Chandler taking on Mauricio Ruffy, with Sean O’Malley squaring off against Aiemann Zahabi. Completing the six-fight lineup are Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus and Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia.
UFC CEO Dana White expressed the uniqueness of the event, highlighting the opportunity for Pereira and Topuria to make their mark as champions. White emphasized the anticipation surrounding the Topuria vs. Gaethje clash and the effort put into finalizing the event lineup.
Regarding Aspinall’s future, White hinted at a potential matchup between him and Pereira if Pereira emerges victorious against Gane in their upcoming bout.
Furthermore, the announcement ruled out a highly anticipated return for Jon Jones, as he had been linked to a potential matchup with Pereira following Pereira’s decision to vacate his light-heavyweight title and move up a weight class.
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