In 2026, the promotion moves one step closer to its long-awaited dream event at the White House, currently set for June 14, 2026. Ahead of this massive milestone, fans are already building their dream card, and it’s safe to say that Alex Pereira and Jon Jones would easily make the list of dream super fights.

After brutally knocking out Magomed Ankalaev to win their rematch at UFC 321, ‘Poatan’ grabbed the mic and called out Jon Jones with a touching tribute to Jones’ late brother, Arthur Jones. Later, on the About Last Fight show, Pereira doubled down, saying, “It would be at the White House, against Jon Jones. That’s a super fight.” Even before that, Jones had shown interest and quickly accepted on social media, writing, “I appreciate the respect you showed, let’s dance.” While fans are hyped for the clash, ex-UFC star Dan Hardy believes Tom Aspinall deserves the spotlight too, and believes the heavyweight champ even holds an edge.  

Dan Hardy favors Tom Aspinall over Alex Pereira and Jon Jones for a potential UFC White House super fight

On the Submission Radio Podcast, the UFC veteran said, “I believe Tom against either of these guys, regardless of what happened at the weekend. I still think Tom comes out on top, you know. Poatan’s an excellent fighter, one of my favorites to watch, and moves in a very different way than the majority of the fighters in combat sports right now. He has a very different rhythm about him…. He’s a very interesting fighter. I just don’t know he has the size to be able to deal with Tom if Tom motoring forward.   

Alex Pereira’s size has always been one of the most talked-about aspects of his game, aside from his incredible skill set. Reportedly, he walks around at over 240 lbs, which already puts him near the heavyweight limit. However, that still doesn’t come close to Aspinall’s size. The heavyweight champion weighed in at 255 lbs at the UFC 321 weigh-ins versus Ciryl Gane(247.5 lbs), making him noticeably bigger than ‘Poatan.’ And it’s not just Pereira; Dan Hardy also pointed out that Aspinall outsizes Jon Jones as well.

Hardy added at the Submission Radio podcast, “Like Ciryl, I thought looked very healthy, but also quite sizable. But, Tom, I think still weighed heavier, didn’t he?…they were relatively the same size, but ‘Poatan’ right now, although he’s probably walking around at 240-230 something like that, it’s different to be in shape. Jon Jones, when he came in against Stipe, was 230s, early 240s. So, it’s not like either of these guys are particularly big. I also don’t think Jones carries heavyweight as well as people expected him to. “ 

And the former UFC fighter is right again. Jon Jones weighed in at 237.6 lbs against Stipe Miocic, who came in at 248.6 lbs at UFC 309. So yes, Aspinall clearly holds a size advantage over both. However, being the bigger man doesn’t always guarantee an edge if the skills don’t back it up. That’s exactly why fighters like Pereira, Jones, and even Topuria have found success moving up in weight. 

That doesn’t mean Aspinall isn’t a threat, but the point is, size alone doesn’t automatically translate to dominance, something ‘El Matador’ seems to understand as he eyes another belt in a higher division. 

Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria show interest in a June 14th scrap 

“I want to fight Islam Makhachev at the White House. It would be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. No one has fought for a third title,” Ilia Topuria said during a press conference in Georgia, sharing his thoughts on the upcoming White House event. So far, no fighter has ever captured three belts across different divisions in the UFC, and ‘El Matador’ has already expressed his desire to face Makhachev at welterweight to become the first three-division champion. 

Initially, the Dagestani camp showed little interest in the matchup, likely because Makhachev and his team were focused on preparing for Jack Della Maddalena at Madison Square Garden on November 15th. However, this time, the former lightweight champion has shown genuine interest in facing Topuria at the White House event.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, Makhachev said, “I have a good fight now, and I know [Topuria] is going to fight soon, and we’ll see what’s gonna happen. He wants to fight at the White House, and I also want to be there. I know the UFC wants to do some big fight in the White House. Which fight is going to be bigger than this?”  

As we move closer to the much-anticipated UFC White House event, which is yet to be officially announced, Dana White clearly isn’t short on potential superfights. With Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria now verbally showing interest in facing each other, the UFC president has another blockbuster matchup to showcase for the fans.

That said, with June 14 shaping up to be a night to remember, the big question remains—what fight headlines the card? Is it Pereira vs. Jones or Makhachev vs. Topuria? Let us know your pick in the comments below.