UFC president Dana White has revealed that Tom Aspinall would have headlined this weekend's White House fight card against Alex Pereira, had the Briton been healthy. The unique event takes place on the South Lawn on Sunday, with Pereira facing Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
Aspinall, the official heavyweight champion, is recovering from double eye surgery after an injury sustained in his no-contest with Gane in October. White told TNT Sports: 'Oh, 100 per cent. That would've been the fight, if he was... You know, a lot of our champions are hurt right now, so it's kind of a funky... There's a lot of things you have to deal with when you're making these matches.'
Instead, Gane will face Pereira, with the Brazilian aiming to become the first three-weight champion in UFC history. Gane, a former interim champion, seeks to reclaim the interim belt after previous losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, and the no-contest with Aspinall.
Aspinall recently stated he wants revenge against Gane but acknowledged a fight with Pereira would be bigger. He said: 'I want revenge of course, but also, there's an argument to say that me and Pereira would be a bigger fight.' He added that he has not been invited to the White House but would attend if asked.
