Last year, United States President Donald Trump mentioned that the UFC White House card could feature eight to nine title fights. The idea sounded so high-reaching that even Joe Rogan called it “nuts.”After that, Jon Anik floated an ambitious idea on the JAXXON podcast, discussing the possibility of the UFC White House event featuring six to seven title fights. While fans dream of a seven-title-fight card, a former P4P king is sounding the alarm, joining a growing chorus of experts who believe the ambitious plan is a ‘bad idea’ that could backfire spectacularly.

Recently, Chael Sonnen laid out why stacking six or seven title fights on one card could be a recipe for disaster. ‘The Bad Guy’ pointed out that if the UFC runs that many championship bouts on one night, the upcoming events would suffer due to a lack of champions available to headline them, calling it a bad business move. Like Sonnen, Kamaru Usman echoed a similar concern. 

Kamaru Usman calls six title fights a bad idea for UFC White House show

“But then they are talking six, seven title fights. First and foremost, pardon my French, but who the f— wants to watch seven title fights, back-to-back, five-round title fights? What if four, or the fifth, or the sixth are boring? I think it’s a bad idea. First of all, we want to see contender fights. We want to see guys who are willing to risk their lives out there. This whole notion of six title fights on there is a bad idea. Honestly, I might be asleep by title fight three”, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ shared on the Pound for Pound Podcast.

As the former welterweight champion explained, stacking that many title fights would stretch the runtime of the event and risk exhausting fans, ultimately hurting the entertainment value. A championship bout runs for five rounds and can last up to 25 minutes, excluding walkouts. Now imagine six or seven of those in one night. That kind of marathon card could easily wear viewers out and drain the excitement.

So far, the UFC has kept three championship bouts as the maximum on a single card, and jumping to six or seven would mark a massive shift. Kamaru Usman also highlighted another issue: how champions usually approach their fights.

“When you’re the champion, your whole goal is to keep that. You want to be smart, you want to be tactical. You want to strategically retain your title. Champs aren’t going out there, leaving caution to the wind, swinging for the fences like we are in a bar fight.” 

The former pound-for-pound king has a fair point. Fans recently saw Islam Makhachev and Valentina Shevchenko deliver dominant but less thrilling performances at UFC 322, while contenders like Michael Morales and Carlos Prates stole the show with highlight-reel knockouts that kept the crowd on edge.

Even so, the UFC White House card continues to feel like one of the most hyped projects in the promotion’s history. 

Maycee Barber eyes a White House showdown 

Maycee Barber made a strong return at UFC 323 by defeating Karine Silva, proving she is healthy and ready to climb again. After that, the Wisconsin native made it clear she wants a quick turnaround. ‘The Future’ also has her eyes on the White House card, which is projected for June 14.

“I want to turn around and fight. I want to be back in a camp again. I want to be preparing for another one. Just be ready. It would be great to be ready to fight in February and then turn around and fight at the White House,” Barber told MMA Fighting in a recent interview.

Right now, the 27-year-old flyweight contender is scheduled to face Alexa Grasso at the UFC Seattle Fight Night event. If she manages to avenge her loss to the former champion in a rematch five years in the making, Barber could build a strong case for a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko on the White House card.

However, with Natalia Silva facing Rose Namajunas at UFC 324, the winner of that bout could also emerge as the next challenger for ‘Bullet.’

It is clear that every fighter wants a spot on the White House showdown and a chance to make history. What do you think the final card could look like? Let us know in the comments section below.