Topuria and Gaethje hit the scale ahead of UFC White House title unification bout

All 14 fighters on the UFC White House card stepped on the scale Saturday morning in Washington, D.C., with the headline act of undefeated lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje both required to come in at 155 pounds or under ahead of Sunday’s title unification bout.

Topuria, currently ranked No. 2 in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings behind only Islam Makhachev, enters the contest with his unbeaten record intact. A victory over Gaethje would consolidate his status as the undisputed face of the lightweight division.

The co-main event carries its own historic stakes. Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane face off in an interim heavyweight title bout, with both men required to weigh no more than 265 pounds. Should Pereira win, he would become the first fighter in UFC history to capture gold in three separate divisions. Gane, meanwhile, has the chance to become interim champion for a second time. The winner is expected to be set on a collision course with undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

The main card also features Sean O’Malley against Aiemann Zahabi, Derrick Lewis taking on Josh Hokit, Michael Chandler opposite Mauricio Ruffy, Bo Nickal versus Kyle Daukaus, and Diego Lopes facing Steve Garcia.