Gaethje to Headline UFC White House Card Over Tsarukyan

UFC legend Daniel Cormier explains the promotion's decision to bench Russian fighter Arman Tsarukyan in favor of American Justin Gaethje for the historic event.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The UFC has decided to have American fighter Justin Gaethje headline the upcoming UFC White House card instead of Russian fighter Arman Tsarukyan. According to UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, this decision was made to ensure "an American guy holding a title" is featured at the event celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. Cormier believes the UFC wanted an American champion on the card, even if it meant passing over the higher-ranked Tsarukyan in favor of interim champion Gaethje.

Why it matters

The UFC White House card is meant to be a major celebration of American independence, so the promotion likely wanted to feature a homegrown American champion in a prominent role. Tsarukyan, despite being the higher-ranked fighter, is from Russia, which could have presented an optics issue for the patriotic event.

The details

Cormier explained that with Russian fighters Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev already holding UFC titles, the promotion wanted to ensure an American champion was featured at the White House event. When Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett to win the interim lightweight title, it provided the perfect opportunity to have an American hold a UFC belt going into the historic card.

  • The UFC White House event is scheduled for June 14, 2026, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence.
  • Gaethje won the interim UFC lightweight title at UFC 324 in February 2026, setting up his title unification bout against Ilia Topuria at the White House event.

The players

Justin Gaethje

An American UFC fighter who currently holds the interim UFC lightweight title.

Arman Tsarukyan

A Russian UFC fighter who is the #2 ranked lightweight contender but has not yet won a UFC title.

Daniel Cormier

A former UFC fighter and current commentator who provided analysis on the UFC's decision to feature Gaethje over Tsarukyan at the White House event.

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What they’re saying

“It feels like that's a massive fight that is worthy of being on such a massive card. And with Topuria being who he is, with Gaethje being who he is, an American guy holding a UFC title – look, the UFC booked Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje. (If) Paddy Pimblett won, you had a star who was going to fight Ilia for the belt.”

— Daniel Cormier, UFC Commentator (YouTube)

What’s next

The full fight card for the UFC White House event on June 14, 2026 is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

The UFC's decision to feature American champion Justin Gaethje over Russian contender Arman Tsarukyan at the high-profile UFC White House event highlights the promotion's desire to showcase American fighters at a card celebrating American independence. This move, while potentially controversial, aligns with the patriotic theme of the historic occasion.