Dana White hasn’t even contemplated who might headline the proposed UFC White House event in 2026, but when it comes to potential superstars filling that slot, he has a little more faith in Conor McGregor making that walk.
As preparations continue for what is expected to be a historic, first-of-its-kind event at the White House as part of President Donald Trump’s celebration for the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the UFC CEO has a lot of work to do before he starts matchmaking for the card. That said, numerous fighters have already expressed interest in joining the White House card, including McGregor and former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
In fact, Jones retired and then almost immediately returned from retirement, specifically after Trump announced plans to hold a UFC event at the White House. That said, White admits that McGregor has always come through when the UFC needed him, and he’s confident that would happen again, especially for such a monumental event.
“I trust Conor,” White told The Jim Rome Show. “Conor McGregor has never, ever — unless he is seriously injured — this guy has always delivered. Jon, I’m a little more skeptical about.”
McGregor hasn’t fought in over four years, but he did recently re-enroll in the UFC’s anti-doping program to plot his eventual return to the octagon, with the White House card serving as the best motivation for him to compete again.
Jones did the same, but White previously said he would feel some hesitation booking him in a headline spot after numerous incidents in the past have forced to UFC to scramble in the wake of his removal from a card. Injuries, arrests, and passing on a short-notice opponent change have stopped Jones from making appearances on major UFC cards, and that appears to be weighing on White’s mind when it comes to the White House event.
Still, White said it’s way too early to speculate on anybody competing on that card, especially with the logistics still to be determined by the president.
“My first meeting with him is at the end of the month; him being the president, is at the end of this month,” White revealed. “I have all the renderings, everything ready to show him for his approval, or he can add, subtract, whatever he wants to do.
“That meeting’s going to happen actually the 28th of this month. I don’t even start thinking about who is going to fight at the White House until after January.”
If the White House card was his primary focus for returning, Jones hasn’t stated if he still plans to return for another fight or not, but nothing has been discussed at this time.
White said much the same, but so far, Jones is still in the UFC’s anti-doping program to clear the way for a potential fight to get booked in the future.
“He’s back,” White said about Jones’ status as an active fighter. “But we’re not talking about fights for him right now.”
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