Who Will Fight on the UFC White House Card? Full Lineup and Event Details
By Zeeshan Ali November 05, 2025 09:30
Picture this: Fireworks crackling over the National Mall, the Stars and Stripes fluttering against a summer dusk, and the unmistakable thud of gloved fists echoing across the South Lawn. On June 14, 2026 coinciding with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday the UFC will plant its Octagon on the White House grounds, turning 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue into the unlikeliest fight night in sports history. It's not just a card; it's a semiquincentennial spectacle, celebrating America's 250th anniversary with a PPV bonanza projected to shatter records at 2.5 million buys, per early DraftKings odds. UFC CEO Dana White, Trump's longtime confidant, calls it "the greatest fight card ever assembled a once-in-a-lifetime mashup of blood, patriotism, and pure chaos."
The genesis? Trump's offhand rally quip in July 2025 morphed into a "done deal" after White's August White House sit-down. Initial July 4 plans buckled under logistics security sweeps rivaling a G20 summit, weather backups at RFK Stadium, and a crowd capped at 4,500 for the elite (with giant screens beaming it to 20,000-plus on the Mall). Now locked for June 14, the event kicks off with dignitaries' dinner in the East Room think world leaders, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg rubbing elbows before filing into ringside seats. Broadcast on CBS under the new $7.7 billion Paramount deal, with PPV spikes for the heavy hitters, it's timed to eclipse International Fight Week. "This isn't human cockfighting anymore," White boomed at UFC 320's presser. "It's American exceptionalism in leather gloves."
The full lineup remains a matchmaking Rubik's Cube White's vowed no reveals until Q1 2026 but rumors, fighter pitches, and insider whispers have coalesced into a dream (or nightmare) card. Heavyweight unification anchors it: Jon "Bones" Jones (28-1, 1 NC) vs. Tom Aspinall (15-3), the U.S.-U.K. clash fans have clamored for since Jones vacated the belt post-retirement tease in April. Jones re-entered the drug-testing pool in September, fueling speculation; Aspinall, the interim king with a blistering 93% finish rate, trolled on X: "Bones at the White House? I'd drag him back to reality politely, of course." White's skeptical "billion-to-1 odds" on Jones, per his UFC 319 quip but Pereira's post-Ankalaev KO plea for a "superfight" with Jones adds intrigue. Poatan (11-2, 9 KOs) eyes heavyweight glory, boasting a 90% KO rate that could net $10 million in disclosed purses alone.
Co-main? Conor McGregor (22-6) vs. Michael Chandler (23-9) the grudge match delayed from UFC 303's pinky-toe fiasco. McGregor's cleared post his six-month CSAD suspension (ending March 2026), and his Trump bromance complete with a 2025 Oval Office visit seals the deal. "Honored to throw hands on American soil," McGregor posted, his 1.2 million-view clip nodding to their TUF 31 beef. Chandler, 2-4 in UFC but with 14 UFC finishes, relishes favorite status at -150 odds. "Conor's the draw, but I'll be the wrecking ball," Chandler told The MMA Hour. Stats scream fireworks: McGregor's 69% striking accuracy vs. Chandler's 5.8 knockdowns per 15 minutes.
Women's bantamweight gets star power with Kayla Harrison (19-1) defending against Amanda Nunes (23-5) a judo gold vs. the GOAT's granite chin. Harrison, fresh off her UFC 307 title grab (950K buys), eyes legacy: "Nunes at the White House? That's my Rocky moment proving the American dream punches back." Nunes, retired then unretired for a 2025 Pennington KO, holds a 17-2 UFC ledger with 70% finishes. Their stylistic chess Harrison's 4.2 takedowns per fight vs. Nunes' 85% sprawl defense could eclipse 1 million buys solo.
Midcard buzz centers on all-American flair. Bo Nickal (7-0, NCAA wrestling beast) vs. Reinier de Ridder (17-2) spotlights U.S. dominance; Trump personally "added" Nickal, per his Norfolk speech, touting the undefeated phenom's 100% finish rate. Colby Covington (17-4), Trump's "favorite fighter" self-proclaimed, lobbies for welterweight gold against Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) a trilogy brewing since Cov's 2023 interim loss. "Chaos at 1600? I'll make it MAGA again," Covington grinned on Fox & Friends. Muhammad, the reigning champ with a UFC-record 12-fight unbeaten streak, counters: "Colby's all talk I'll school him on the Lawn."
Lightweight delivers Ilia Topuria (16-0) vs. Justin Gaethje (25-5) featherweight king's U.S. debut against "The Highlight." Topuria's 100% finish rate (11 KOs) meets Gaethje's 72% KO clip, promising viral violence after Gaethje's 2025 Poirier rematch KO. Sean O'Malley (18-2), the flyweight flash with 1.1 million Instagram followers, faces Merab Dvalishvili (18-4) in a bantamweight rematch O'Malley's 2024 loss avenged under fireworks. "White House walkout? My suit's red, white, and boom," Sugar quipped.
Undercard gems include Mike Perry (14-9), the bare-knuckle brawler pitching a USA flag entrance: "I'm the exciting underdog pay cut? For the White House? Sign me up." He eyes a welterweight scrap with Geoff Neal (16-6). Ronda Rousey (12-2) rumors swirl for a legacy bout vs. Miesha Tate her 14-second UFC 175 armbar still iconic but health woes temper it. Bo Nickal headlines prelims, per White's tease.
Stats underscore the hype: UFC's 2025 PPV average hit 850K buys; this card's projected 2.5M would top McGregor-Mayweather's 4.3M (adjusted). Fighter purses? McGregor's rumored at $20M base, Jones $15M. Security's ironclad FBI sweeps, no-fly zones but White's undaunted: "We'll have the Oval Office as fighter HQ. Walkouts from the Rose Garden? Epic."
Critics cry foul political pandering amid betting scandals but fighters like Harrison frame it as triumph: "From Olympic golds to White House gold? That's the grind." As renders drop Octagon amid cherry blossoms, screens on the Reflecting Pool the card embodies UFC's ascent: from Zuffa underdogs to national treasure.
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