UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that a heavyweight bout featuring Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit will join the UFC Freedom 250 lineup scheduled for the White House this summer, following a direct request from President Donald Trump.
The matchup pairs Lewis, who maintains a 29-13 mixed martial arts record and holds the UFC’s knockout record with 16 finishes, against Hokit, an undefeated fighter at 9-0 who secured a victory over Curtis Blaydes during Saturday’s UFC 327 event in Miami. This bout will serve as the seventh contest on the June 14 card, which celebrates America’s 250th anniversary.
During Saturday’s post-event press conference, White revealed that Trump, who attended the Miami event, questioned Lewis’s absence from the White House lineup.
“I’m sure you guys just saw the Hokit fight,” White explained. “About an hour ago, the president leans over to me and says, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?’ and I said, ‘Hold on, Mr. President.’ I stepped away and called Derrick Lewis and said, ‘Derrick, the president just asked why you’re not on the card. Do you want to fight on the White House card?’ He said, ‘Of course.’”
According to White, the bout was finalized moments later when he spoke with Hokit following his unanimous decision victory, which extended his UFC winning streak to 3-0.
