Dana White shared a remarkable behind-the-scenes story about organizing an additional fight for the upcoming White House event. During UFC 327, White asked a fighter if he wanted to compete at the White House, and the fighter immediately agreed, telling White to thank the president. White instructed matchmaker Mick Maynard to find a bout for Derrick Lewis, initially planning to discuss it the following week. However, when Joe Rogan asked during the broadcast if there was still room on the White House card, White frantically grabbed Maynard and sent him to speak with Josh Hockitt. Hockitt, who was being loaded into an ambulance at the time, gave his consent to fight at the event, demonstrating the spontaneous nature of the booking.
Dana White revealed an unusually spontaneous booking process for the upcoming White House event during UFC 327 on April 11, detailing how heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis was added to the card through a series of last-minute conversations — including one with a fighter being loaded into an ambulance.
White recounted approaching Lewis during the event and asking whether he wanted to compete at the White House. Lewis immediately agreed, telling White to pass his thanks to the president. White then instructed matchmaker Mick Maynard to find an opponent, with the expectation that the details would be worked out the following week.
That timeline collapsed when Joe Rogan, during the live broadcast, asked White whether there was still room on the White House card. White scrambled, grabbed Maynard on the spot, and sent him to speak with Josh Hockitt — who was in the process of being loaded into an ambulance at the time. Hockitt gave his consent to the fight from the stretcher, and the bout was effectively made.
Lewis, 41, carries a 29-14-0 record and is currently ranked eighth in the UFC heavyweight division. The six-foot-three, 191-centimeter American fights out of Main Street Boxing and Muay Thai in an orthodox stance and brings a 79-inch reach into every matchup. He lands 2.46 significant strikes per minute at a 49-percent striking accuracy rate, making him one of the division's most dangerous power punchers.
Why it matters
- Lewis at eighth in the heavyweight rankings means any performance at the high-profile White House event could shift the divisional picture.
- The impromptu nature of the booking — finalized with a fighter mid-transport — underscores the informal, fast-moving way the White House card has come together.
- A matchup against Hockitt gives Lewis a public platform well outside the typical pay-per-view setting.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
