MMA fans are growing anxious about the upcoming UFC White House fight scheduled for June 14, as First Round Management founder Malki Kawa revealed he endured an intense all-night negotiation. The UFC White House fight, intended to celebrate the United States‘ 250th anniversary, now faces uncertainty after UFC CEO Dana White announced that one of the planned bouts has fallen through.
The event’s fight card is set to be unveiled on Saturday, the same night Las Vegas will host UFC 326 at T-Mobile Arena, featuring Max Holloway versus Charles Oliveira as the main event. Despite this, the fate of key fighters like Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria, both represented by Kawa and rumored to be part of the White House showdown, remains unclear.
Details Emerge from Negotiations and Fight Card Uncertainty
Malki Kawa, speaking on social media platform X, hinted at the struggles behind securing fights for the White House event. He posted,
“An all-night negotiation where I didn’t sleep hasn’t happened in a long time. When I tell you this story, you won’t believe it.”
His message raised questions about the stability of the event’s roster.
Dana White confirmed the setback during an interview with MMA content creator Nina-Marie Daniele, stating,
“I’ll tell you something about the White House fight. So we’ve been working on this thing non-stop and one of the fights literally just fell out when I walked in here.”
White also shared a lighthearted yet telling remark about UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell’s reaction, saying,
“I think Hunter [Campbell] k—– himself. One of the fights fell off tonight, brutal.”
Anticipated Scale and Number of Fights for the Historic Event
Initially, the UFC event at the White House’s South Lawn was planned to include six fights, with White considering the addition of a seventh. Discussing the card with Piers Morgan, White expressed excitement about the lineup:
“I’m looking at (the card) right now. I’m staring at all six fights. We’re scheduled to do six fights. We were going to do six fights, we might actually do seven, I might add one more, but yeah, I’m excited.”
Despite the enthusiasm, the exact fighters for the White House card have yet to be officially announced. While Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria remain possibilities, the participation of high-profile names remains speculative.
Notable Absence of Conor McGregor from the Event
Conor McGregor, a former UFC star who last competed in 2021 after losing to Dustin Poirier, has confirmed he will not be fighting at the White House event. In an interview with Smash Cast, McGregor stated he will not be part of the card, disappointing fans who had hoped for his inclusion in this historic occasion.
Significance and Outlook for UFC’s White House Celebration
The UFC’s White House event is poised to be a landmark celebration marking 250 years of the United States, with plans to hold fights on the South Lawn and reportedly a stadium constructed to accommodate over 100,000 spectators, as revealed by Donald Trump. However, the recent cancellation of a fight and ongoing negotiations signal challenges in finalizing the event details.
With negotiations still underway and the fight card reveal approaching rapidly, the UFC community is watching closely to see which fighters will participate and how the event’s lineup might change. The outcome will shape the success of this unprecedented UFC celebration on such a symbolic stage.
