Dana White surprises and reveals fight he would have liked to announce at the UFC White House.

Dana at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

PUBLICITY:

Scheduled to take place on June 14th in Washington, D.C., UFC Casa Branca is being touted by many as the biggest event of 2026 due to its unique and historic nature. The card features seven fights, showcasing some of the biggest names in MMA. And, according to Dana White, the company's president, the show almost included another high-profile bout.

The UFC president revealed that he would have liked to have arranged the Mackenzie Dern vs. Zhang Weili fight, which was to take place at the White House, but the strawweight (up to 52,2 kg) title fight never happened. According to Dana White, the presence of a representative from China would increase the event's global impact and, consequently, its viewership. Furthermore, contrary to what many imagined, the show doesn't only feature American fighters.

See too

Insane! Champion Sean Strickland claims he could beat legendary Anderson Silva at his peak in the UFC.

In great form and close to the title, Paulo Borrachinha reveals the ideal date for his next UFC fight.

Wish granted! Conor McGregor is back and celebrates his new and valuable contract with the UFC; find out more.

According to the company president, the fight hasn't been officially announced because Zhang decided to take a break from MMA to recover after her tough loss to Valentina Shevchenko in November. Therefore, the expectation is that the Brazilian will defend her strawweight title for the first time against Gillian Robertson . As such, UFC Casa Branca will not feature any women's fights.

“I need to assemble a group of people I trust and who I believe will be up to the fight. We tried to organize a women's fight, but we couldn't make it happen,” said the UFC president in an interview with 'Time' magazine.

UFC White House

UFC White House , also known as UFC Freedom 250 , will take place on June 14th at the official residence of the US president in Washington, D.C. Unlike usual, the event will be held on a Sunday, Donald Trump's birthday.

In the main event of UFC Casa Branca , Georgian Ilia Topuria defends his lightweight title (up to 70,3 kg) against the interim title holder, American Justin Gaethje.

Alex Poatan in the spotlight

Alex Poatan will be a featured athlete at UFC Casa Branca . Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Brazil is represented at UFC Casa Branca . In the co-main event, Alex Poatan attempts an unprecedented feat. The former middleweight (up to 83,9 kg) and light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) champion, the renowned striker seeks the interim heavyweight (up to 120 kg) title against Frenchman Ciryl Gane.

Besides Poatan, Mauricio Ruffy and Diego Lopes are the other Brazilian athletes on the card. The pair will face Michael Chandler and Steve Garcia , respectively.

UFC White House fight schedule

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje – Title fight

Heavyweight (up to 120 kg): Alex Poatan vs. Ciryl Gane – Interim title fight

Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Sean O'Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi

Heavyweight (up to 120 kg): Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Kyle Daukaus x Bo Nickal

Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Steve Garcia vs. Diego Lopes

Exclusive: Michael PQD talks about his brutal UFC debut victory.