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Justin Gaethje says Ilia Topuria at the White House is only option, open to Conor McGregor main event scrap

Gaethje earned the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 and will unify it against Topuria at a White House event expected to draw 3,000 to 4,000 fans, officials said.

  • On June 14, Justin Gaethje confirmed he will fight Ilia Topuria at the White House and expects to headline, as he said on "The Pat McAfee Show."
  • After winning at UFC 324, Gaethje captured the interim lightweight championship by defeating Paddy Pimblett and said he has been 'speaking it into existence' since his Fiziev fight last year.
  • Promoters envision the event will feature six or seven fights and be simulcast on CBS and Paramount+, with 3,000 to 4,000 people in attendance, according to Ari Emanuel, TKO Group CEO and executive chairman.
  • Gaethje said he is taking a measured approach, noting he is 37 and recovering after his last fight, with ten weeks of training and more indulgence in food.
  • Topuria teased the matchup on Instagram, but reports say he has stepped back for personal reasons while UFC matchmakers continue talks, making the White House card matchup logical with Gaethje as interim champion.
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MMA Weekly broke the news in Ogden, United States on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
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