UFC News: Nate Diaz, White House Card, Velasquez Parole & Aspinall Controversy

Fighter Updates & Callouts

• 💬 Nate Diaz expressed his readiness to return to action, naming Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Mike Perry as potential high-profile opponents, and showed interest in the White House card.
• 🎯 Colby Covington confirmed he is negotiating with the UFC for a spot on the White House card, specifically eyeing a patriotic matchup against Paddy Pimblett.
• 🚀 Kamaru Usman shared his ambitious goal to capture both the welterweight and middleweight titles in 2026 before retiring from MMA.
• 🥊 Cory Sandhagen argued he deserves a rematch with Petr Yan more than Sean O'Malley, citing his past "performance of the night" fight and recent victories.

UFC White House Event Details

• ✅ Dana White confirmed that the highly anticipated UFC White House event card is already mapped out behind the scenes, with matchmaking processes underway.
• 💡 Islam Makhachev has informed the UFC of his strong desire to compete on the historic White House card, aiming to be part of this unique event.

Controversial Reactions

• 🤣 Dana White reacted with disbelief and laughter when asked about a potential boxing match between Terence Crawford and Joaquin Buckley, dismissing the crossover concept.
• ⚠️ The MMA community reacted strongly to a video of Tom Aspinall juggling a football, with many fans questioning the severity of his eye injury and some calling for him to vacate his belt.

Legal Developments

• ⚖️ Cain Velasquez was officially granted early parole and released from prison, following a 2022 incident.