Dana White Shuts Down Conor McGregor’s Claim of Being Locked for UFC White House Card

The long-discussed UFC White House event is finally moving closer to reality, with Dana White recently revealing renders of the setup in an interview with Fox. Naturally, speculation over who will headline the historic card is already heating up, with Conor McGregor at the center of attention. Backed by the UFC boss as someone he could count on, the Irishman has been teasing his long-awaited return to the Octagon after more than four years away. 

In a recent media appearance, McGregor boldly claimed that his deal to fight at the White House was already signed and sealed. But at the UFC 320 post-fight press conference, White poured cold water on those claims, making it clear that nothing has been finalized yet.

Dana White Backs Conor McGregor’s Interest in White House Card, Clarifies Preparation Starts in February

Conor McGregor has remained upbeat about finally making his long-awaited return against Michael Chandler next year. During a recent appearance on Fox Sports, the Irishman made bold claims about the fight being set in stone. He said, “It’s a done deal, signed, delivered. End of negotiations. McGregor will compete in the White House for America’s 250th birthday.”

While Dana White has previously clarified at choice of McGregor over Jon Jones to headline the historic card, the UFC boss also made it clear that nothing would be finalized until February of next year. At the UFC 320 post-fight press conference, he addressed McGregor’s comments directly.

“We’re still talking about the production and how everything is going to work at the White House,” White said. 

He then dropped the bombshell that no fights have even been discussed yet, adding, “We have not started negotiating any fights for the White House yet. That won’t even start until February. I have made it clear that Conor wants to fight on that card, and you can clearly see Conor is very fired up to be on that card.”

White ended his statement with a reminder: “But nothing is done yet, and no fights are being negotiated with the White House.”

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🚨 Dana White reacts to Conor McGregor saying his fight at the White House is SIGNED and a DONE DEAL:

“We have not started negotiating any fights for the White House yet. That won’t start until February.” pic.twitter.com/gRWa6l6OUZ

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 5, 2025

For those who may not recall, McGregor last competed at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier. That fight ended in the opening round after the Irishman suffered a broken leg, resulting in a TKO loss via doctor’s stoppage. Since then, McGregor has yet to step foot back inside the Octagon. His comeback almost materialized at UFC 303 in June 2024, where he was set to face Michael Chandler. 

The pair even built hype a year earlier by coaching against each other on The Ultimate Fighter 31. However, a pinky toe injury forced McGregor to withdraw from the event. In the time since, McGregor’s life has been anything but quiet. He has dealt with legal troubles, expanded his business ventures, and even secured partial ownership in BKFC. 

Nov 12, 2016 – New York, New York, U.S. – Eddie Alvarez and Conor The Notorious McGregor during weigh-in at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden. MMA 2016 – UFC 205 – Weigh-In – ZUMAs277 20161111_shn_s277_409

He was recently cageside at BKFC 82 in New Jersey, where his former rival Mike Perry defeated Jeremy Stephens in the main event. At the same time, it seems that McGregor also viewed Alex Pereira knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 320 headliner. 

Following the event, he took to X to send a clear message about his mindset, tweeting: “I am motivated beyond belief, now discipline.” While White has stressed that no deal is finalized, momentum is clearly building. 

I am motivated beyond belief, now discipline.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 5, 2025

With McGregor fired up and the UFC eager to deliver something special, it now feels like only a matter of time before his long-awaited return is locked in for the historic White House card in 2026.