Will There Be No Russian Fighters at the UFC White House Event?
Since its announcement, the UFC White House event has dominated discussions across the global MMA community. The ambitious project represents Dana White’s dream vision and highlights his close professional relationship with President Donald Trump.
Several superstars, including Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Alex Pereira, have expressed strong interest in fighting in the event. Reports suggest the historic main card could feature seven or eight championship bouts, promising unprecedented excitement for fans.
However, former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, who recently lost his belt to Petr Yan, doesn’t think Russian fighters will be on this card. “The UFC told me I’m next for the belt. They said there will be a trilogy between me and Yan. They also told me that our fight will not happen at the White House in June because [Yan] is Russian, and that’s impossible,” said Merab Dvalishvili.
Currently, UFC has three Russian fighters, including Petr Yan, Khamzat Chimaev, and Islam Makhachev, and all are top stars. Both Makhachev and the ‘Borz’ are on an incredible streak and have already asked Dana White for the White House event.
Chimaev has called out the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, believing his wrestling would be enough to beat the knockout specialist. On the other hand, Makhachev, in his last bout, asked Trump to open the White House gate as he would be there to fight.
The White House event is an occasion to celebrate American independence and its culture, creating expectations of stronger promotion for American fighters. Foreign fighters dominating American fighters will not be a good look for the celebration or the overall symbolic atmosphere. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see whether CEO Dana White is ready to take the risk.
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Jorge Masvidal wants to fight at the UFC White House event
Several UFC fighters are highly patriotic and strongly supported Donald Trump during the last presidential election. Former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal is one such fighter, now eager to return from retirement to compete at the historic event.
“I definitely know I should be on that White House card. I know they’ve got a different plan where they want to go all title fights, but hopefully I get in there somehow, some way. think I would add a lot of value to that card,” said Jorge Masvidal via Deatherow MMA.
Other fighters, such as Bo Nickal, have also talked about fighting at the White House event and called out Colby Covington. All these fighters closely know Donald Trump, which makes it more complicated. According to UFC officials, more details about the card will be out after UFC 324.
READ MORE: UFC 324: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett: Event Details and Full Fight Card
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