Charles Oliveira favors Ilia Topuria in the main event of the UFC White House card, reasoning that Topuria’s technical prowess offers him an advantage over Justin Gaethje’s aggressive approach. This perspective carries weight as Oliveira has faced both fighters, submitting Gaethje at UFC 274 and subsequently losing to Topuria via first-round knockout in their 2025 lightweight title bout.
Oliveira Backs Ilia Topuria for White House Headliner
In an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA, facilitated by CasinoHawks, Oliveira shared his insights:
“Everyone keeps asking me about it. They’re two guys who hit hard, two guys who commit themselves, two great fighters. But in my view, Topuria has a much better chance of winning. He’s a much more technical fighter than Gaethje. Gaethje is a brawler, he’s there for a tear-up. Topuria is a guy who hunts the knockout, he chases the knockout. So I believe he wins.”
The fight Oliveira is discussing is a significant announcement for the UFC in 2026. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Topuria will defend his lightweight championship against interim champion Gaethje in the main event of the White House card, scheduled for June 14 in Washington, D.C., as part of the America 250 celebrations. This bout is a title unification, with Topuria entering as the undisputed champion and Gaethje holding the interim belt he secured earlier this year against Paddy Pimblett.
Oliveira’s opinion is notable due to his recent experiences with both competitors. He defeated Gaethje by first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 274 on May 7, 2022, in a fight that saw both fighters score knockdowns before Oliveira secured the submission at 3:22 of the first round. Three years later, Oliveira faced Topuria for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317, and Topuria stopped him at 2:27 of the opening round, becoming a two-division UFC champion.
According to Oliveira, both fighters are formidable, but if the White House main event devolves into a slugfest, he believes the more precise and technical striker is more likely to emerge with the championship. He is picking the Spanish-Georgian fighter.