Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling expressed significant disappointment regarding the recently announced fight card for the UFC White House event. Despite earlier promises from President Donald Trump of an event featuring all title fights and UFC CEO Dana White’s assurance of the promotion’s “best fight card” ever, Sterling believes the six-bout lineup, scheduled for June 14 during the America Freedom 250 celebration on the White House lawn, falls short of expectations.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sterling questioned the quality of the matchups. He particularly highlighted the bantamweight clash between Sean O’Malley and Aiemann Zahabi, suggesting that a fight against Cory Sandhagen would have held far more significance for O’Malley, calling it a “marquee matchup” that fans truly wanted to see. While acknowledging the great opportunity this presents for Zahabi, Sterling felt the card should feature more highly ranked contenders and bouts with clear title implications.
He also critiqued the Michael Chandler vs. Ruffy matchup. While understanding the patriotic angle associated with Chandler, Sterling argued that the fight “just doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense” beyond giving Ruffy a significant step-up in competition. Sterling opined that Ruffy deserved a more meaningful opponent if featured on such a high-profile card, one that could offer clear title shot implications.
Ultimately, Sterling conveyed a strong sense of unmet expectations from what was billed as a historic event. He stated, “I just expected a little bit more… fights that mean something at the highest point of each division.” He believes UFC matchmakers missed opportunities to include more impactful bouts that would truly justify the prestige of the White House setting and live up to the grand promises made by the organization’s leadership.
