UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has shared a concerning update regarding his potential fight against Justin Gaethje on June 14’s White House card. This comes weeks after ‘The Highlight’ defeated Paddy Pimblett to become the interim champion at UFC 324. While appearing on Adin Ross’ KICK livestream recently, ‘El Matador’ claimed he doesn’t have a clue about what’s next for him.

“In summer, hopefully,” Topuria said when asked when he is fighting next. “If I’m fighting in the White House, I don’t know. You don’t [tell] the UFC how to make fights and where they have to put you. And they don’t tell you how to fight. So this is basically how it works… As of right now, I have no f—king idea what’s going on… I know that I’m going to fight in the summer, but I don’t have any specific date or place.”

Topuria further took digs at Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for their performance earlier this year. However, ‘El Matador’ confirmed that he is most likely going to be facing Justin Gaethje next. In the meantime, though, journalist Álvaro Colmenero appears to have revealed why Topuria is unlikely to make it on the historic White House card, and the reason is political. 

“I’m not sure if Trump’s advisors would feel comfortable with putting a Hispanic-Georgian fighter in the main event,” Colmenero said. “In a scenario where there’s a very high probability that the American star ends up getting knocked out. It’s also about advising and structuring things in the most positive way for American interests.”

This comes amid heavy backlash against Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies. Not long ago, during Super Bowl LX, Puerto Rican rapper/singer Bad Bunny’s halftime show became the centre of controversy. It’s safe to assume that if Topuria ends up headlining the card, a similar situation could arise.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

And considering the close ties between Dana White and Donald Trump, the UFC is unlikely to take that chance. Regardless, the promotion has yet to announce a lineup for the event. However, according to reports, Dana White confirmed that the matchmaking for the historic UFC White House card is essentially done, with two potential options in place.

In the meantime, Topuria appears to be planning for the future. 

Ilia Topuria proposes a new P4P title for the Islam Makhachev fight

Even though Ilia Topuria is open to moving to welterweight in order to chase history as a three-division champion, he also proposed a more unique solution. Speaking during an appearance on Adin Ross’ stream, ‘El Matador’ suggested a fight between 155 and 170 pounds to crown a symbolic P4P king.

“But also, it would be a great scenario [for] me to fight between 155 and 170 and to create a new belt,” Topuria said. “Why not call it pound-for-pound? Because he’s the number one, I’m the number two right now. For me, myself, I’m the number one… You put two of the best guys in the world, you put the pound-for-pound belt in the middle, whoever wins is the best.”

Islam Makhachev is coming off his dominant win over Jack Della Madallena last year, where he secured his welterweight strap. He is yet to defend the title for the first time, with Kamaru Usman also in the mix for a title fight. Topuria, on the other hand, hasn’t fought since his win over Charles Oliveira in June last year. 

It looks like Ilia Topuria is ready to get back on the road to fight. However, it’s yet to be seen when he ends up fighting next. Do you think there’s still a chance UFC puts him on the White House card?