Superstar champion to headline against U.S. hero at White House UFC?

June 14 could be the date of Ilia Topuria’s highly anticipated comeback. The Spanish-Georgian fighter, a two-division UFC champion, confirmed he plans to return sometime between April and June. He revealed his first title defense would be against the winner of the Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett matchup. With Gaethje crowned interim champion after a dominant win over Pimblett last week, Washington, D.C., is emerging as the likely stage for the showdown.

A historic event at the White House

The UFC event at the White House promises to be the biggest in the organization’s history. President Donald Trump, a longtime MMA fan, and UFC president Dana White reportedly agreed to host it on June 14, Trump’s birthday, as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. White told “Talk of the Table,” “The UFC will broadcast live on CBS from the South Lawn of the White House.”

White added, “The arena will hold 5,000 to 6,000 seats directly in front of the White House’s main entrance, with 100,000 fans behind it, where they’ll set up eight to ten massive screens.” While Trump initially suggested that every fight feature a title on the line, that’s logistically impossible without impacting the rest of the year’s events. No matchups have been officially announced yet, but fans are already imagining Topuria vs. Gaethje as the headline fight.

Gaethje: America’s favorite fighter

Justin Gaethje earned his shot at the title. With 15 performance bonuses in 15 fights, he is the only UFC fighter to have held the interim championship twice. This would be his third shot at the undisputed title. A national favorite, Gaethje is known for his forward-pressing, unpredictable style that guarantees excitement whenever he steps into the octagon.

Gaethje would play the role of the patriotic hero, the fighter the American crowd wants to see headlining a historic event in the nation’s capital. Topuria is the perfect opponent. With two UFC belts, the Spanish-Georgian fighter is the face of the company, currently ranked second in the pound-for-pound standings. He has knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira in succession - Volkanovski and Holloway had never been stopped before.

It’s the perfect clash for a White House showdown and falls neatly within the window Topuria gave for his return.

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