Two of the biggest stars in UFC’s history have raised their hands to fight on the proposed White House card, but Dana White doesn’t have the same level of trust that both would show up.
The UFC is planning to host an event at the White House on July 4, 2026, as White has often discussed in recent weeks. He is expected to meet with U.S. president Donald Trump in the near future to show him their ideas and renderings for approval to proceed with planning what would be a logistical nightmare of an event.
For an event that may or may not take place 11 months from now, White is more worried about the event coming together rather than who would be fighting. However, two of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view draws, Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, have thrown their names into the hat to be a part of the White House event.
“I don’t even start thinking about who’s gonna fight at the White House until after January,” White said on “The Jim Rome Show.”
The promotion CEO was then asked which fighter he trusts more to book and make it to the octagon for the event, Jones or McGregor. Both fighters have had their issues outside of the cage over the years, but White says he can trust “The Notorious” to fulfill his commitment more than “Bones.”
“I trust Conor,” White said. “I trust Conor. Conor McGregor has never, ever – unless he was seriously injured – this guy has always delivered.
“Jon, I’m a little more skeptical about.”
McGregor has not competed since breaking his leg in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. Jones last competed at UFC 309 in November 2024, where he defended the heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. Amid new legal issues and unwillingness to unify the title against then-interim champion Tom Aspinall, Jones announced his retirement.
However, when the idea of a White House event popped up, Jones expressed interest and returned to the UFC’s anti-doping testing pool. McGregor also recently joined the pool in order to be in compliance for competition by next July. Both fighters have recently submitted samples, according to the testing history website.
