Sean O’Malley would love to see Conor McGregor fight Ilia Topuria at the White House.
MMA fans have been fantasy matchmaking for the card ever since US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to bring Dana White‘s promotions to the famous gardens.
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McGregor hasn’t fought in the UFC since his trilogy with Dustin Poirier in 2021Credit: Getty
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Topuria is the UFC lightweight championCredit: Getty
O’Malley, 30, suffered his second successive UFC defeat in June when he was submitted by Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title bout.
He mentioned a trilogy bout with the Georgian champion when asked about his ideal fights for the UFC White House card, which is expected to take place on July 4, 2026, to mark 250 years of American Independence.
However, O’Malley would have a McGregor return against UFC lightweight champion Topuria at the top of his bill.
“If I could pick whatever, Conor for sure,” ‘Suga’ said on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, breaking down his ideal fights for the blockbuster card.
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“I mean, Conor versus Ilia would probably be the top one. Israel [Adesanya] versus [Sean] Strickland two, I’d like to see that. That would be a banger up there.
“[Jon] Jones versus Aspinall is the one everyone wants to see. Me versus Cory [Sandhagen], me versus Petr [Yan] two, me versus Merab three… You never know.
“Max Holloway versus anybody. That dude is just so fun to watch.”
O’Malley later added when speaking on the card: “I think you have to do Americans versus Russians, or Americans versus anyone else.”
‘Suga’ is expected to have a quick turnaround following his second defeat to Dvalishvili at UFC 316.
Dvalishvili defends his belt for the third time against Sandhagen at UFC 320 in October, and O’Malley, depending on his next fight, could well face the winner.
Sean O’Malley’s ideal UFC White House card
July 4, 2026
Main event: Conor McGregor vs Ilia TopuriaCo-main event: Jon Jones vs Tom AspinallIsrael Adesanya vs Sean Strickland 2Sean O’Malley vs Cory Sandhagen / Petr Yan 2 / Merab Dvalishvili 3Max Holloway vs [anybody]
He concluded by asserting his next fight will serve as a reminder to fans that he’s still as good as he says he is, having suffered only the second and third defeats of his 22-fight career in the last 12 months.
O’Malley quit smoking and all forms of social media ahead of his last fight and claims he’s still living the same lifestyle as he gears up for a return to the octagon.
McGregor, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since losing consecutive bouts to Dustin Poirier in 2021.
He was meant to make a comeback last June, but the Irishman’s fight with Michael Chandler was cancelled when the former injured his toe.
The 37-year-old’s business partner, David Feldman, who co-owns BKFC with ‘The Notorious,’ has revealed the fighter’s intention to return.
“He told me in person,” Feldman told Ariel Helwani.
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O’Malley said a McGregor return would be right at the top of his UFC White House cardCredit: Getty
“He whispered in my ear, he said, ‘I’m in the testing pool. I’m getting ready to make my comeback.
“I’m going to fight on that big card and then I’m going to have another fight and then we can talk.”
McGregor has since given his first drug test sample since being back in the UFC’s testing pool, signalling the beginning of his return to MMA.
He has named Chandler as a potential opponent for his comeback fight.