UFC White House Top-15 Fights Wish List

Zak Drapeau
1 day ago
7 min read

by Zak Drapeau 12/3/2025

Sportz Nation

Photo Generated by UFC via Fox News Special Report

Main Events

1. Tom Aspinall

vs Alex Pereira

(Heavyweight Championship)

With Dana White reiterating that Jon Jones can not be trusted to be on this card, Aspinall vs Pereira has to be the most wanted fight for this event. Alex Pereira has been the biggest name in the sport for 2 years now and for him to move up a division and challenge for the Heavyweight Championship would be an All-Time Event.

The aftermath of the Aspinall-Gane fight may keep the current champion out for a long time but he should be able to return for July. Tom Aspinall is one of the most complete fighting Heavyweight Champions in history and is maybe the only fighter in the UFC right now that would be favored over Pereira.

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2. Islam Makhachev

vs Ilia Topuria

(Welterweight Championship)

While Pereira vs Aspinall may be the best fight possible for this card, I believe Makhachev vs Topuria is the most LIKELY Main Event for the White House. With both fighters being out until after the Spring and their rivalry already hot in the media and in interviews, this seems destined to happen.

Topuria is one of the biggest names in the sport and has already moved up 1 division in his career and is on record in saying he'd do it again. Makhachev has long been in the Top-3 pound-for-pound fighters and himself just moved up to take the Welterweight Championship.

Even though I believe Islam will dominate... I'll go on record in saying I believe this fight WILL Main Event this card. __________________________________

3. Conor McGregor

vs Mike Chandler

From most likely to happen to LEAST likely to happen, let's talk about the fight that's 2 years in the making. Ladies and gentlemen, Conor's very likely never going to fight again even though he has expressed interest in this card. The beef and rumoured matchup between these two has been well documented though and there's a chance we see it.

If this fight does happen, it's very likely to be Conor's swan song as well and thus be the Main Event. With a fighter as game as Michael Chandler as his opponent this would be perhaps the most exciting fight of Conor's career. I would love to see this fight and to see Conor's final fight in a spectacle like this but... I just don't believe it's gonna happen.

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Co-Main Events

4. [Winner of Pimblett

vs Gaethje]

vs Armen Tsarukyan

(Lightweight Championship)

The most recent fight news from Dana himself is that the Interim Lightweight Championship will be decided in January between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje. IN MY ASSUMPTION... Topuria will move up before they ever get to unify those belts and will leave the winner with the unique opportunity to defend the belt against the true #1 Lightweight Armen Tsaukyan.

Tsarukyan may be a boring fighter and one of the lesser names in the division but he is no doubt one of the best fighters. Leapfrogged once again for a title opportunity, Tsarukyan should get the first crack at whoever is champion come next summer between the Baddy and the Highlight Reel.

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5. Valentina Shevchenko

vs Kayla Harrison

(Bantamweight Championship)

Okay so this is a bit of a hypothetical after a hypothetical... Regardless of who wins the Nunes-Harrison fight in January, I don't believe Nunes fights again afterward. Which means even if Kayla Harrison loses she will have another shot at the title later on in the year and without a clear #1 challenger in the division... let's make another Superfight.

Shevchenko has been so dominant in her career including her walloping of Weili Zhang in November that her third chance at becoming Champ-Champ should be around the corner. For Harrison, if she beats Nunes, this would be her shot at beating BOTH of the best Woman's fighters in history and cementing her claim at the title as well.

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6. Merab Dvalishvili

vs Alexandre Pantoja

(Bantamweight Championship)

With both fighters ready to defend their belts this Saturday, when they both win this fight should be at least considered by the powers that be. Alex Pantoja is the most dominant Flyweight Champion we've seen since Mighty Mouse and Dvallishvilli could easily be the Fighter of the Year for 2025.

With BOTH of these fighters likely to move up a weight class in 2026, I'd like to pick Pantoja to do so first and make this matchup of Top-5 pound-for-pound fighters. A legitimate claim to being the best Sub-155 pound fighter ever could be on the line in this one and is my pick for the ACTUAL Co-Main come July.

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Main Card Fights

7. Mackenzie Dern

vs Weili Zhang

(Strawweight Championship)

Unfortunately for Weili Zhang, her last loss to Shevchenko has devalued her name for the time being and if she returns to 115 to challenge for her belt I believe it's unlikely to be in the Co-Main unless the card is weaker than I predict it will be.

That's not to say she wouldn't deserve the billing as in my eyes, the 4th best Woman's fighter of all time. And for Mackenzie Dern, what a journey come full circle it would be for her first Title Defense of the 9-year veteran to be on this level of a card.

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8. Sergei Pavlovich

vs Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane was having a pretty good fight until the Eye Poke finish and if he doesn't get an immediate rematch, I like the fight with Pavlovich to determine the next Title Challenger.

This fight will be a BANGER and could easily be a crazy Heavyweight KO in Round 1. This fight could easily be a Fight Night Main Event or a Co-Main Event for a PPV but on a card like this, it may be the absolute best Main Card fight we could see.

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9. Jiri Prochazka

vs Carlos Ulberg

(Vacant LHW Championship)

If Pereira moves up to Heavyweight he will vacate the Light Heavyweight belt and a new Champion will need to be crowned. An argument could be made for Magomed Ankalaev to get a shot but I would take Ulberg and Prochazka. Ulberg has been the freight train coming for this division for years now and Jiri has been at the top for years.

Every time Jiri is in the octagon you know you're about to see either a crazy kickboxing knockout or a fight at the highest possible level. With Carlos Ulberg, you know these fighters will be game and looking for a brutal knockout sooner than later. This fight should definitely be over in the first 3 rounds and could make for the highlight of the night on the biggest night of the year.

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10. Jack Della Maddelena

vs Shavkat Rakhmonov

With all the talk about the Welterweight division lately and Islam taking over with Ilia looking to earn his 3rd championship and Ian Garry coming for the crown but JDM still being a force at the top... we're forgetting about the REAL boogeyman at 170.

Shavkat Rakhmonov is the undefeated Kazakh that has been out for a year dealing with injuries. When he does return he should be in contention for a title eliminator right out of the gate. Fighting the ex-Champ is the perfect matchup and a clash worthy of being HIGH up on this Mega Card.

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11. Ian Machado Garry

vs Michael Morales

Another war between two of the top fighters in the sport's best division should be between Ian Garry and Michael Morales. In what should be another elite-level kickboxing match, these two would compete with Ulberg and Prochazka for the best chance to have the highlight of the night.

Let the matchmaking take it's course after the event in terms of who gets a title shot between the winners of this fight and the previous... I just want to see two of the very best in the world compete and that's what we have along with Ian Garry's notoriety making this fight one of my favorites as the Main Card opener.

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12. Israel Adesanya

vs Michael Page

*Quick preface: the last 4 fights are all stylistic matchups that I really want to see and have less to do with rankings.

In the long line of "student vs master" fights in the UFC, this fight would be so awesome to watch for the ones that have been a fan of this sport for a while. A clear "version 2" of Silva vs Adesanya, these 2 high level kickboxers facing off in the octagon would be a spectacle regardless of how the fight went.

With Page's ascension up the 185-pound ladder underway and Adesanya seemingly on his way out but looking for one more run... both fighters would be desperate for the win and could make this fight irresistible for the true diehards.

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13. Max Holloway

vs Dan Hooker

(BMF Championship)

If you're heart doesn't start beating faster at the mere mention of this fight you're not a real UFC fan. Truth be told Max deserves better than a style matchup in this division but I really believe the UFC will do everything they can to make fights fans want to see.

Hooker is coming off a title eliminator fight and may be on his way out of the UFC in a year or two but still has the warrior-mentality. Max is the BMF champion and truly embodies the BMF spirit that this card and this fight should be all about.

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14. Yair Rodriguez

vs Lerone Murphy

Two of the best kickboxers in the UFC and Top-5 fighters in the Featherweight division, let's see them go at it. Lerone Murphy is pissed that Diego Lopes got another title shot before he did and rightfully so... but a marquee matchup at the White House Card would be a great consolidation prize.

Yair has been amidst the top of the 145-division for almost 5 years now but has got to have a big fight to prove he belongs there and fighting possibly the hottest Featherweight in the world who is the only man that could come for his claim as the best kickboxer in the division is the perfect fight.

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15. Sean O'Malley

vs Cory Sandhagen

This has long been a fight that I've wanted to see based on how similar these guys fight. Both are tall and lanky 145-ers that primarily box and have been among the Top-5 of their division for years.

Both fighters are stuck as long as Dvalishvili is champion so why not just make some money and be on the biggest card of the year. A real shot at winning the Fight of the Night, these two skilled kickboxers would be non stop action until the very end of the fight and would be marketable too with O'Malley still being among the Top-10 draws in the sport.

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