Connor McGregor‘s return to the UFC has been widely anticipated ever since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier back in July 2021.
He was set to face Michael Chandler back in June 2024, but the fight fell through when McGregor suffered a toe injury, and the fight was never rescheduled.
It seemed that UFC President and CEO Dana White had given up on McGregor ever fighting again for the promotion, despite him having two more fights on his contract, until it was announced that there would be a fight card at the White House in June 2025 – at which point McGregor immediately threw his hat into the ring.
It had been believed by many that McGregor was set to headline the UFC’s biggest event of the year, which the UFC is set to announce on Saturday night at the UFC 326 event in Las Vegas.
However, after an Instagram post from White; which has since been deleted; we now have a small insight into what the lineup could look like – and it may well not include McGregor.
📸 Dana White IG.
Picture Reveals a Title Fight Will Headline White House
As was shared by MMA journalist, Marcel Dorff, a picture of White covering up the bout list for the White House Card – also named “Freedom Fights 250” – and two golden belt signs, which signal a World Title Fight, were at the top of the bout list.
If the the top two fights are title fights, that would most likely indicate that McGregor is at the very least not headlining the White House event.
It feels very unlikely that the UFC would bring in a 37-year old McGregor, who has not fought for the best part of five years, to come in and challenge Ilia Topuria at 155 lbs or Islam Makhachev at 170 lbs – both of which are fights he would almost certainly lose.
So it would appear that unless there is some BMF title wizadry going on – something unlikely given that the belt is being contested at the same event at which the card is being announced, UFC 326, McGregor is not going to be the man to headline at the White House.
Could McGregor Still Fight at UFC White House?
In theory it is not impossible that McGregor still lands on the card. Considering that he remains far and away the best known and most fan-drawing fighter in the sport, it would feel weird to see him not participate as the main event.
Even though traditionally title fights headline numbered cards no matter what, one would imagine that the UFC would want to have their biggest star – McGregor – fighting at the culmination of the evening, making it seem less likely he will participate in any fashion on June 14.
Yet, the White House card – as we have all been told – is not like any other pay-per-view or numbered event. There will be only 6-7 fights, and it will take place on the White House lawn. With or without the Irishman, it will unquestionably be one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
Connor McGregor Unlikely to Headline White House Card After Dana White’s Photo