Discussion around a possible UFC event at the White House continues to grow, but not everyone believes the rumored fight structure makes sense. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman recently shared his thoughts on the idea of loading the card with several championship bouts.
President Donald Trump previously suggested that the UFC could stage an event on the South Lawn on June 14, with talk of eight or nine title fights. UFC commentator Jon Anik later said the final number might be closer to six or seven. Even at that level, Usman sees a major problem.
Usman spoke about the topic on his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Henry Cejudo, where he questioned whether fans would stay engaged through that many long fights.
“They’re talking this six or seven title fights, first and foremost, Henry, pardon my French, but who the f*ck wants to watch seven title fights back to back, five round title fights back to back to back,” Usman said. “What if the four or the five or the six in a row are boring? I think it’s a bad idea, bad idea because first of all, we want to see contender fights. We want to see guys who are willing to go risk their lives out there.”
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Why Usman Thinks It Would Not Work
Usman explained that championship bouts often come with a different approach than fights involving rising contenders. Champions, he said, focus on control and strategy rather than taking reckless chances.
“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,” Usman said. “Champions aren’t going out there like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to throw caution to the wind and just swing for the fences like we’re in a bar fight,’ that’s not what champions do because that’s not what gets you to be a champion. You got to be smarter than everybody else.”
He added that stacking several five round fights in a row could wear down the audience before the main event even arrives.
“This whole notion of, ‘Let’s put six title fights on there,’ I think that’s a bad idea, and honestly, I might be asleep by title fight three, I might be asleep.”
While the White House event has been teased publicly, no bouts have been officially booked. Several fighters have expressed interest in appearing on the card, including former two division champions Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.
For now, the concept remains in the planning stage. Whether the UFC moves forward with multiple title fights or adjusts the format, Usman’s comments reflect concern that too much of one thing could turn a historic event into a long night for fans.
