The UFC had its card on the White House lawn on Sunday, which will go down as one of the greatest sporting spectacles ever. In the main event, Ilia Topuria was defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje, while the co-main event saw Ciryl Gane taking on Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight belt.
Ultimately, it was Gaethje who pulled off a stunning upset as he scored a corner stoppage at the end of the fourth round against Topuria to become the new lightweight champion. In the co-main event, it was Gane who scored a second-round TKO over Pereira to become a two-time interim heavyweight champion.
Following the UFC White House, here is what I think should be next for the stars of the event.
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje became the UFC’s lightweight champion with a stunning stoppage win over Ilia Topuria. It came after it looked like he’d be finished in the second round, but Gaethje put on a great performance as he battered Topuria to pull off the stunning result.
After the event, Gaethje wouldn’t confirm if he would retire or not, which is certainly an option. But if he does fight again, he should face Arman Tsarukyan later this year in his first defense of the lightweight title.
Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria entered the UFC White House with the expectation that he would run through Justin Gaethje as he has other opponents. After nearly getting the finsih in the second round, Topuria faded as Gaethje put it on him, which resulted in his corner stopping the fight.
Now, after the loss, there are major questions about his future and how he will respond. Topuria likely should take the rest of the year off and return in the spring of 2027. When he does return, a logical next bout is to face Paddy Pimblett, as it’s a grudge match that has to happen, even if it isn’t for the belt.
Ciryl Gane
(via Zuffa LLC)
Ciryl Gane became a two-time interim heavyweight champion with a stoppage win over Alex Pereira. Gane made a statement, and it secures him getting a rematch against Tom Aspinall later this year for the undisputed heavyweight title. The Frenchman looked good against Aspinall early and has a legit chance of getting the belt.
Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira will have to make a decision on whether he stays at heavyweight or goes back down to light heavyweight after his loss to Ciryl Gane. If Pereira stays at heavyweight, a bout against Josh Hokit makes a lot of sense, as the winner would be in the title picture. If he drops down to light heavyweight, fighting Paulo Costa makes sense in a No. 1 contender bout.
What do you think should be next for the stars of UFC White House?
