Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has revealed that the promotion has informed him that a planned trilogy fight against current champion Petr Yan will not take place at the White House event in June due to Yan’s Russian citizenship.
Not Russian
Dvalishvili revealed the information in a recent statement, saying the UFC confirmed it would host the next title shot but ruled out the White House as a venue. “I was told by the UFC that I will be the next to fight for the title. They said that we will have a trilogy with Petr. And they also said that our fight will not take place on Donald Trump’s birthday in June, because Petr is from Russia, and that is impossible. They will not allow him to fight in the White House,” the Georgian fighter stated.
The UFC has planned a historic event at the White House on June 14, 2026, to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. The card was originally scheduled for July 4, 2026, in line with the 250th anniversary of American Independence, but was moved to accommodate the president’s schedule. The outdoor event will take place on the South Lawn and is expected to accommodate approximately 5,000 attendees on the White House grounds, with a possible additional 85,000 people in Ellipse Park across the street.
UFC White House
Dana White has confirmed that the event is moving forward and stated that planning meetings have taken place. The UFC president has indicated that fight bookings won’t begin until the first quarter of 2026, but several high-profile fighters have already expressed interest in competing at the venue.
Yan captured the bantamweight championship at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025, defeating Dvalishvili by unanimous decision by scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47. The victory avenged Yan’s previous loss to Dvalishvili in March 2023, when the Georgian fighter dominated their first meeting by unanimous decision. Yan is Russian and has Russian citizenship
Dvalishvili suggested that the restriction on Russian fighters fighting at the White House site could impact other prominent Russian competitors. If the policy extends to all Russian citizens, it would potentially bar Islam Makhachev, the current UFC welterweight champion, and Khamzat Chimaev, the reigning middleweight champion, from defending their titles.
White addressed the question of whether Russian fighters will compete at the White House during the UFC 322 post-fight press conference in November 2025. When asked if Islam Makhachev could participate in the event, White dismissed speculation about nationality restrictions. “Yes, it’s not America versus the world. [It’s about] what is the best map we can build. We’re talking about him possibly joining the GOAT conversation here depending on what he accomplishes in his next few fights. So it is a possibility,” White said
Khamzat Chimaev has also campaigned for a spot on the card. Although Chimaev was born in Chechnya and has Russian citizenship, he officially represents the United Arab Emirates in competition and was granted UAE citizenship in January 2025. Chimaev has stated that he retains his Russian citizenship and considers Russia his motherland despite representing the UAE flag.
Dvalishvili held the bantamweight championship from September 2024 to December 2025, successfully defending the title three times before losing to Yan. The Georgian fighter was on a 14-fight winning streak before losing at UFC 323. According to Dvalishvili, the UFC has promised him another chance to fight for the title, although the timeline and location remain unclear given White House restrictions.
The UFC has not officially announced any fights for the White House card as of January 2026. Several other high-profile fighters, including former two-division champion Conor McGregor and former heavyweight champion Jon Jones, have expressed interest in participating in the event, although White has expressed skepticism about relying on Jones for such an important card.
The weigh-ins for the White House event are expected to take place at the Lincoln Memorial, and fighters may have designated warm-up areas within the White House itself. Replacing the grass on the South Lawn where the octagon will be located, costing an estimated $700,000
Whether the restriction on Russian fighters at the White House event represents a location-specific security decision, a broader policy change, or only applies to specific fighters remains unclear. The UFC has not issued an official statement clarifying the extent of nationality-based restrictions for the June event.
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