‘Said something crazy’: $1m UFC White House call as GOAT debate leaves top voices at odds
A $1 million bet has been placed on American Justin Gaethje to cause a huge UFC White House boilover, and by a fellow fighter who has vowed to buy a private jet with the winnings.Less than a week out from UFC Freedom 250, a large number of big bets are also being placed Down Under for Gaethje – an almost $6 outsider – to upset UFC lightweight king Ilia Topuria on the South Lawn.UFC FREEDOM 250 | MONDAY 15 JUNE 10AM AEST | UFC Freedom 250 delivers a landmark night of fights from the White House, with Topuria vs Gaethje leading a stacked card celebrating America’s 250th anniversary | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.According to Sportsbet, good money is coming for ‘The Highlight’ to continue a run that has already seen him win a staggering 10 times as the betting outsider.Should he add Topuria to that list, given the Spaniard sits alongside Islam Makhachev as the top two fighters in the sport, he would undeniably be challenging for the tag of greatest underdog in UFC history.Fox Sports Australia can also reveal Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira is being heavily backed to push for his own Greatest Of All Time claims, and despite his co-main title clash with Ciryl Gane still being a pick ‘em contest.While Sportsbet has both heavyweights at $1.90, the betting agency has already taken four times more cash on ‘Poatan’ to win the interim strap.Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje in front of the White House.Source: FOX SPORTSIt comes as no less than UFC boss Dana White has also suggested a win for Pereira would put him into GOAT talks with Jon Jones.All of which comes as UFC superstar Arman Tsarukyan – whose family’s net worth reportedly sits over $100 million – placed a seven-figure wager on Gaethje while taking part in a stream over the weekend.Tsarukyan placed the bet live on Deen The Great’s Kick Stream, immediately suggested his father, a wealthy construction businessman, would likely be on the phone to question his decision.Yet quizzed on the wager, “I want Ilia,” Tsarukyan said initially. “But Gaethje, bro. Every time Gaethje fought, everybody thought he’s going to lose, but he always won. Even last one.”Topuria, meanwhile, has been wound in to $1.14.As a result, Australian bookmakers have suggested all the money coming for him is on a Round One KO, which is paying $3.80.Yet given Gaethje’s incredible run of upset wins right throughout his career, plenty of punters are keen to take the big odds available on a fighter who has incredibly been the underdog 13 times in his storied career – and won 10 of them.Jon Anik previews White House fights | 20:47One of the sport’s most exciting fighters has also racked 15 UFC Performance bonuses from as money fights, and has used the cash to buy houses, Lamborghini Urus, even a ski business in Colorado.Which may explain why Tsarukyan, while streaming with Deen The Great on a boat, was encouraged to increase what was initially going to be a $50,000 wager.“Bro, Gaethje, please,” Tsarukyan said. “Just knock him out, and next day, I’ll go and get the plane. Down payment on a plane.”The UFC star also promised Gaethje a gift in victory.“We should get him a good watch,” Tsarukyan added.Later, Tsarukyan joked of his enormous wager: “It’s not easy to make $1 million … [but] it was easy to click”.UFC 329: McGregor v Holloway 2 | SUN 18 JULY 11AM AEST | Conor McGregor is back. The Irish superstar takes on the always dangerous Max Holloway in a rematch 13 years in the making | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.Elsewhere, UFC president Dana White believes two-weight UFC champ Pereira is one win away from becoming the greatest fighter of all time.Having already held middleweight and light heavyweight straps, Pereira is now attempting to become the first three-weight champion in UFC history.If Pereira is successful, White believes he will surpass Jon Jones – who he has long insisted in the greatest ever – at the top of all UFC GOAT debates.“If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time,” White told Forbes.White made the claim as a response to close friend and commentator, Joe Rogan, who branded the June 15 event as a “gimmick”.Inside the UFC White House construction | 03:07Rogan also voiced concerns about security, and holding a pair of marquee title fights outdoors, saying: “Yeah, I’ll be there, but I’m not thrilled about it. It doesn’t seem like a wise idea … it’s kind of a gimmick.” In response, White said: “Whatever Joe Rogan’s opinions are – he said something crazy like, ‘It seems like a gimmick’.“I mean, what does a gimmick mean? It’s a real fight, with real stakes.”Which he said, includes Poatan.“You got Pereira possibly winning his third world title,” White explained.“If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time.”A former Glory kickboxing king, Pereira signed with the UFC after only five professional fights and, first up, won the middleweight title four years ago, dethroning Israel Adesanya.Earlier this year, he vacated the light heavyweight strap to move up to the heavyweight division, where undisputed champ Tom Aspinall remains sidelined.The Englishman is still recovering from a serious eye injury suffered in his most recent bout, and with new manager – famed UK boxing promoter Eddie Hearn – now talking loudly about upgrading his contract.
