Jason Burgos
For fans hoping that the main event of the UFC White House card in June is Alex Pereira vs. Jon Jones, a new rumor brings fantastic news.
In a few months, the UFC will be able to achieve something even the NFL, NBA, and MLB have never done by having an event on the lawn of the White House. While company boss Dana White has claimed the event will be a financial loss, the history it makes will live on for generations.
Since the news broke about the unique event, there has been a lot of speculation about the fights that could be on the card. Company legends like Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have made it known they want to be on the card, and current pound-for-pound talents like Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and Alex Pereira have been linked to the show.
Yet, the promotion has not said much about who will be on it. The hope of most fans is for a super-fight between former heavyweight champ Jones and two-division champion Pereira. However, White has shown a resistance to having “Bones” on the card. However, he may have changed his mind.
Pereira vs. Jones at White House card ‘not dead’
According to veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, there have been recent conversations about having Pereira vs. Jones headline the mega-event in June, and that the idea “is not dead.” However, while he claims it is still possible, he admits he isn’t “hearing a ton of positive momentum” toward it getting finalized.
Speculation about Pereira moving up to heavyweight and headlining the White House card went into overdrive when the light heavyweight champion vacated the title this week. The move — which was made by Makhachev and Topuria last year — often signifies a weight change.
If Pereira vs. Jones doesn’t happen, Helwani claims the UFC’s plan would be for the Brazilian to face Ciryl Gane in a matchup for the interim heavyweight crown. Current champion, Tom Aspinall, is trying to work his way back from serious eye injuries suffered in a title defense against Gane last year.
Helwani says the former 205-pound champ wants to fight Jones, but if a booking can’t be made, a run at history to become the first three-division champion in UFC history is the plan. Either way, “a big fight is coming for Alex Pereira,” he said.
