Fighters Question the Hype Around the UFC White House Event

The UFC White House event is causing quite a stir among fighters. Some are questioning why so much focus is on this one event, rather than their regular fights. Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo have been vocal about this. They think fighters are too obsessed with the White House card. Usman even said, \x22Why is everyone saying White House, White House? Just fight. \x22 Cejudo also pointed out that the event might not even have a big crowd. He mentioned that only around 5, 000 to 6, 000 people might be there, not the 20, 000 that was initially talked about. The event was originally planned for July 4, 2026, but it was moved to June 14, which is Donald Trump's birthday. This change has given fighters more time to prepare, but some still think they should focus on their regular fights first. Not everyone is keen on fighting at the White House. Fighters like Brandon Royval and Sean Strickland have criticized the event, calling it \x22Hunger Games\x22 because it seems more about entertaining high-profile guests than the fans. Cejudo agreed with this view. The UFC has not confirmed who will fight at the White House event. Some fighters, like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, might sit out their fights to wait for this event. But for active champions and fighters, this might not be the best idea. Fans will have to watch the event from home on Paramount+. If the fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria happens at the White House, the fighters might miss out on the excitement of a packed arena.