Overview
- No bouts are booked yet for the June 14, 2026 White House event, and Dana White says formal matchmaking will begin in February.
- Several marquee names look unlikely or unavailable: Alex Pereira signaled he is out, Islam Makhachev faces pushback from Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ilia Topuria has personal issues, Tom Aspinall may need eye surgery, Jon Jones is not trusted by White, and Sean Strickland declined to participate.
- Sean O’Malley argues “They need me,” proposing a route of beating Song Yadong next month and then pursuing a Petr Yan rematch on the White House card.
- Fans on social media warn that White is running out of headliners and fear the White House lineup could fall short of expectations.
- President Trump has promoted the idea of eight or nine title fights, but even supporters such as Joe Rogan call that target unrealistic given current availability.