After taking the UFC to many parts of the world,  Dana White is now set to host an event at a historic venue on June 14 this year. In 2024, it was Noche UFC (UFC 306) at the Las Vegas Sphere, and now, the promotion is setting its sights on the White House lawn. Since the event was announced, fans have been looking forward to the fight card.

While none of the matchups on the card have been announced yet, many fighters have shown interest in being a part of the event. However, Dana White has asserted that the announcement would be made within seven days. Before that, let us look at some of the matchups that are leading the race to get featured at the main event of the UFC White House card.

1. UFC champion vs. champion: Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje

For starters, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje are two names that are arguably in line to fight at the UFC White House card. One of the reasons to believe is the return timeline of both of the fighters. Topuria, in particular, hasn’t been inside the octagon since the UFC 317 fight against Charles Oliveira, where he became the lightweight champion.

Meanwhile, Gaethje recently fought at UFC 324, where he became the interim lightweight champion by beating Paddy Pimblett. Till June, ‘The Highlight’ surely has enough time to recover for the title unification bout, which is one reason this matchup is a strong possibility. However, another reason would be Gaethje’s current stature.

The UFC White House card is part of the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. And Gaethje being the only American male UFC champion, the chances are very high of him getting featured in the main event bout against a popular star like Topuria.

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However, there are also other options that the leading MMA promotion might consider for the main event slot. One involving one of the most standout American UFC legends against a popular Brazilian face.

2. Heavyweight clash: Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira

The fighters in question are none other than Jon Jones and Alex Pereira. It has been around two years since the pair first teased about a potential fight against each other. While the weight classes during that time were different, the situation regarding that has changed now.

According to Dana White, Pereira has vacated the light heavyweight title to pursue a heavyweight move. And since the announcement of the UFC White House card, Jones has confirmed coming out of retirement to compete on that card. To that end, ‘Bones’ even opened up about a fight against ‘Poatan’.

So, in regard to the fighters, they seem ready for it. However, White does have trust issues with Jones. Considering the event is set to take place at the White House, the UFC CEO is hesitating to have faith in the former heavyweight champion. But then again, Jones has publicly apologized and urged White to trust him for the historic event.

And probably, White & Co. might give their nod to have Jones and Pereira headline the UFC White House card. However, in terms of the fans’ perspective, this fight would be something that can potentially draw massive attention. Speaking of attention, let’s not forget one of the popular UFC superstars who is eyeing a comeback on that historic event.

3. ‘The Notorious’ vs. Michael Chandler showdown

When it comes to popularity and drawing masses to a fight, there is arguably no one who can compete with Conor McGregor. He moved away from his fighting career with a losing streak. But after the announcement of the UFC White House card, the Irishman found an added motivation to come back to the octagon.

But what are the potential opponents’ options available for ‘The Notorious’? Interestingly, McGregor’s return was long overdue. As such, he was slated to return at UFC 303 in a fight against Michael Chandler. But following a toe injury, the Irishman pulled out of the bout. Now, as years passed by, both McGregor and Chandler are still on the same page about fighting each other.

Surely, they make an exciting matchup, with both heavily relying on their striking. However, there is also an interesting twist when it comes to this particular matchup for the White House event. Dana White is quite content about trusting McGregor to headline such a massive event. But the head honcho is seemingly not inclined towards Chandler being that opponent.

Amid that, ‘The Notorious’ still wants to fight Chandler on that card. Then again, the ultimate decision lies in the UFC’s hands. But surely, Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira, and Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler are in the race to get featured in the historic UFC White House card.

Apart from these, a women’s UFC bantamweight champion fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes could be an option for the co-main event slot. Given that, they were initially slated to face each other at UFC 324, but was cancelled due to Harrison’s neck injury. Now, if the champion can recover in time for the event, then it can happen. Being the only American undisputed champion, having Harrison face the female GOAT of UFC would be a great addition to the card.

However, amid all these matchups, there is one common link, which is an American fighter. As the nation will be celebrating its 250th anniversary, it would surely want someone who could get the victory in the main event showdown!