Brett OkamotoFeb 11, 2026, 10:40 AM
CloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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The UFC has officially started to build its fight lineup for this summer’s highly anticipated event at the White House.
UFC CEO Dana White announced Tuesday on social media that he was moments away from heading into a matchmaking meeting for the event. Earlier in the day, he revealed that UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was flying into Las Vegas to attend the meeting.
The UFC regularly holds its weekly matchmaking meeting on Tuesdays, and this week’s is arguably the most anticipated one in UFC history.
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Last week, TKO Group CEO and executive chairman Ari Emanuel revealed the card on June 14 will consist of six to seven fights and air on CBS and Paramount+. It will take place on the South Lawn of the White House.
The UFC has not tipped its hand on any potential fight for the card, although nearly all of the company’s biggest stars have publicly lobbied to make an appearance, including Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.
Newly crowned interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who represents Safford, Arizona, has expressed his optimism of unifying the lightweight belt against undisputed champion Ilia Topuria at the event.
Topuria, of Spain, took a leave of absence to begin 2026 due to personal issues but recently announced he is back to training for an expected unification bout against Gaethje.