Back in January, Merab Dvalishvili claimed that his trilogy with Petr Yan had been blocked from the White House card over Yan’s Russian nationality. And just a few hours ago, Dana White confirmed that the UFC White House event’s matchmaking was done and that he would announce the fights this week. Even as the clock seems to have run out, Petr Yan is making his case for a spot on the prestigious event.

The speculations about Russian fighters not being in consideration for the card gain momentum after Dvalishvili’s comments. However, while addressing those rumors, Yan seemed quite unfazed as he put forward his candidature to fight on that one-of-a-kind card. But with that, he made a suggestion that could be beneficial for the UFC, also.

Petr Yan gives his two cents on the alleged Russian fighter ban at UFC White House

“You know I haven’t heard a definite no regarding, you know, Russian fighters,” said Petr Yan via translator on The Ariel Helwani Show. “But I think that UFC is a huge international organization that probably fighters from all over the world are fighting in the UFC. So, I think if anything, this would be an incredible gesture, kind of like a gesture of goodwill, to show that sports, after all, is outside of politics.”

A while ago, Dana White had also debunked any talks of the event being an All-American affair. He stated the lineup would be diverse, featuring the best fighters from different countries. Whether Russia is one of them is something we’ll only know after White announces the fights.

Yan has been quite vocal about fighting on the UFC White House card, especially after he became the bantamweight champion. The UFC 323 event bore witness to ‘No Mercy’ ending Merab Dvalishvili’s 14-fight winning streak to reclaim the 135-pound championship. Now, in his first title defense, Sean O’Malley has come in as another candidate, aside from Dvalishvili.

To that end, O’Malley called for a fight against Yan at the White House, which is expected to go down on June 14, and the Russian fighter immediately gave his nod for it. Now, as the rumors of the ban of Russian fighters for the event surfaced, Yan has made his plea to be on the card. However, the ultimate decision lies in the hands of the UFC matchmakers.

Many UFC analysts, including Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier, have previously mentioned that the UFC White House Card will be designed to celebrate America’s 250th year of Independence, which also coincides with Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. According to them, the card would prominently feature American fighters to celebrate the occasions. Also, given the political relationship between Russia and the USA, many think the matchmakers might avoid booking Russian fighters on the card altogether.

That said, if there is an actual ban on Russian fighters for the White House event, it would also take out Islam Makhachev from the picture. Makhachev, who has held the title in two weight divisions, is arguably the biggest Russian name on the UFC roster, having been in the promotion for over a decade. As of now, he stands on a 16-fight winning streak, with a potential superfight lining up against Ilia Topuria.

Surely, that could have been an interesting matchup for the UFC White House. However, reports suggest otherwise. Makhachev already has an opponent, and it’s not Topuria.

Islam Makhachev’s next fight revealed, and it’s not on the UFC White House card

Although Islam Makhachev wanted to fight at the UFC White House event, he will probably be skipped over. The Dagestani fighter became the UFC welterweight champion by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in November last year.

Now, Makhachev has rising contenders Ian Garry and Michael Morales as possible challengers. But according to the latest reports from a UFC staff contributor, the next welterweight championship fight is already in the making.

“I have some news for you, some news right now that I’m getting on the UFC topic quickly,” said UFC Espanol’s Jacque Enriquez during an interview. “Michael Morales, July 11, here in Las Vegas for the title.”

This comes after Morales himself teased about facing Makhachev on his socials. Also, the date is set to be July 11, lining up with International Fight Week, where there are also talks of Conor McGregor making his return.

As of now, these are just reports. That said, do you think Makhachev, along with Petr Yan, will be good additions to the UFC White House card? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!