Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor has once again made his intentions clear: it’s the reunion with Michael Chandler or bust next June on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington D.C.
In an exclusive Fox News special Friday night, UFC CEO Dana White appeared on “Special Report with Bret Baier” to detail the first public renderings of how the White House card will look on TV and discuss possible options for the June 2026 blockbuster. White reiterated construction for the card would begin in February, giving the promotion four months to promote the event.
“Yeah. We’ll build — we’ll build the greatest card of all time for the White House fight,” White said. “And Conor and I have been talking consistently. He wants this fight bad. And, you know, when you get to a level that Conor is at, you’ve got to find things in life that motivate you. And the White House card has definitely motivated Conor McGregor.”
Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; UFC CEO Dana White (left) talks to President-elect Donald Trump ringside during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
🇺🇸 The first renderings for the UFC White House event just dropped and they look INSANE 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/zxr4eZOSps
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 20, 2025
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McGregor has been away from MMA since July 2021, and with President Donald Trump’s support, he says he’s ready to finally settle business with Chandler. The two appeared as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, yet never got the opportunity to fight at season’s end.
Now, the stars may be aligning once more. Only this time, on a much larger, patriotic scale.
McGregor-Instagram
“I am. This — this is me. Michael Chandler,” McGregor told “Fox and Friends'” Brian Kilmeade. “Michael Chandler and myself have done the show The Ultimate Fighter that we’ve had, a good back and forth. He’s a good, tough guy. And, you know, the Mac is excited to get back for sure.”
Chandler is also interested in renewing the coaching rivalry with McGregor, reiterating it would be an honor to represent the U.S. in front of a combined 90,000 (inside and outside the South Lawn) and millions watching at home.
Michael Chandler says him vs Conor McGregor is the fight to make at the White House 👀
“That’s the fight to make, Conor and I. We have some history, we did The Ultimate Fighter…
It seems like that’s a heck of a main event for the UFC White House.”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 20, 2025
“It seems like that’s a heck of a main event for the UFC White House,” Chandler told Fox News’s Laura Ingraham.
Although the fight has fallen apart before, it appears UFC brass is confident it will book McGregor’s comeback fight, one that could be a potential final chapter in a career that has seen highs, lows, and everything in between.
For Chandler, it would be the biggest name he has ever faced. It’s his chance after years of buildup to prove the wait was, in fact, worth it.
Only time will tell, but let the madness begin.
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