The UFC’s upcoming June 14 fight card on the White House South Lawn was already one of the most unusual events the promotion had attempted. Matchups like Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane were attached early to anchor the lineup. But the card was still being adjusted behind the scenes after Dana White confirmed during a livestream that one scheduled bout had unexpectedly fallen through shortly before UFC 327. And just like that, the promotion was left searching for a replacement to stabilize the heavyweight portion of the event.
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That opening became relevant during the UFC 327 main card when undefeated heavyweight Josh Hokit turned in a demanding three-round performance against Curtis Blaydes, immediately pushing his name into the conversation around possible additions to the June lineup. At the same time, longtime fan favorite Derrick Lewis, still the UFC’s all-time knockout leader in the heavyweight division, remained absent from the announced matchups, creating a natural question around whether the promotion would move quickly to bring another proven action fighter onto the historic card. And then…
“Dana White just announced Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis has been added to the White House card,” wrote ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
In the heavyweight bout on the main card, Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes entered fight night following one of the most bizarre build-ups in recent memory. Hokit grabbed headlines with his multiple personas and pre-fight antics. Although the No. 5-ranked Blaydes remained indifferent to the antics of the undefeated prospect, he ultimately came up short inside the Octagon. Hokit, continuing on his pre-fight antics, earned a unanimous decision victory after one of the most active three-round heavyweight fights in recent UFC memory, with the two combining to land 354 significant strikes, a new record for a three-round heavyweight bout.
Now it appears, impressed by the performance of the rising star, color commentator Joe Rogan nudged Dana White to add Hokit to the UFC Freedom 250 card. At the same time, President Donald Trump asked White why one of UFC’s most entertaining heavyweights, Derrick Lewis, wasn’t featured on the card. Trump, who was seated cageside at UFC 327 in Miami and has previously been described by White as one of Lewis’ longtime supporters, prompted the call that quickly reshaped the lineup. Thus, an opportunity presented itself, one that White couldn’t miss.
“I’ve got one for you guys. I’m sure you guys just saw the Hokit fight, right?” White said. “So about an hour ago, the president leaned over to me and said, ‘Why isn’t Derrick Lewis on the White House card?’ and I said, ‘Hold on a second, Mr. President.’ I stepped away and called Derrick Lewis and said, ‘Derrick, the President just asked me why you’re not on the card. Do you wanna fight on the White House card?’
“He said, ‘Of course I do.’ Then the Hokit fight plays out, and Joe Rogan says, ‘Is there still room on the White House card?’ I went back and talked to him. Hokit vs Derrick Lewis was just added to the White House card in the last 10 minutes. President Trump built half the fight, Joe Rogan built the other. Both guys have accepted and agreed to fight, so we’re adding one more to the White House. Pretty bada** how that came together organically.”
Dana White just announced Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis has been added to the White House card.
White later confirmed the matchup was finalized only after speaking to Hokit following his win, even as the undefeated heavyweight was preparing to leave the arena for medical checks after the fight, and both fighters accepted the opportunity for the quick June turnaround. Hokit improved to 3–0 inside the UFC with the victory over Blaydes and 9–0 overall in his MMA career.
This isn’t the first time the UFC CEO has done this. In one of the more recent examples of putting together a fight on the spot, during the UFC 308 press conference in Abu Dhabi in 2024, an undefeated MMA fighter from Tajikistan, Nabotov Dorobshokh, used the open microphone during the Q&A session to beg Dana White for a fight in the promotion.
White invited the 25-year-old lightweight onto the stage to meet him and the UFC matchmakers. While he didn’t sign him directly to the roster, he granted him a fight on the spot for an upcoming “Lookin’ For A Fight” event to prove he belonged in the UFC. In December 2024, Nabotov competed at Z Fight Night 2 in South Korea but ultimately lost via unanimous decision.
Nevertheless, the addition of the Lewis vs. Hokit heavyweight bout could be the perfect replacement for a previously lost fight, as the historic event at the White House lawn had suffered a setback. The matchup also becomes the seventh confirmed fight on the Freedom 250 lineup, the card being staged as part of celebrations marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Dana White was rocked after the UFC White House card lost an important fight
The historic event at the White House lawn, backed by Donald Trump, is scheduled for June 14 on the South Lawn, with a full lineup, which was revealed during UFC 326. However, speaking during a live stream, White admitted the promotion suffered a last-minute blow.
“I’ll tell you something about the White House fight,” he said. “We’ve been working on this thing non-stop, and one of the fights literally just fell out when I walked in here.
“I think Hunter [Campbell] k—ed himself. One of the fights fell off tonight, brutal.”
It remains unclear which bout has been scrapped, but the disruption complicates plans for a quick turnaround announcement. Despite the setback, the UFC is still pushing ahead, and now, that fight appears to have been replaced by Hokit vs. Lewis. Lewis, meanwhile, enters the matchup looking to rebound after a January TKO loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta as he prepares for another high-visibility heavyweight opportunity in June.
