Conor McGregor has doubled down on his claim that he will fight at the White House in 2026, saying it is a “done deal” and “signed”.
McGregor, a former two-weight UFC champion, has not competed since suffering a broken leg in July 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier for the second time in six months.
He withdrew from a planned comeback fight against Michael Chandler last June, citing a broken toe, but recently said he would face the American at the White House next summer.
Such an event is in the works, with UFC president Dana White – a close friend of US president Donald Trump – having revealed rendered images of the Octagon on the South Lawn. And McGregor is insistent that he will be involved.
“It can ignite support for the people of Ireland, as we desperately need,” the Irishman, 37, told Fox News. “Done deal, signed, delivered.
“It ain’t a negotiation; it’s a done deal, signed, delivered. McGregor will compete in the White House for America’s 250th birthday.
“Me and Dana are in constant communications. We’ve done incredible business together, I’m the highest-generating fighter of all time [financially] in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“They’ve just signed a breathtaking deal with Paramount, where we go to cable TV. $7.7bn that deal that was approved for.
“Ready to rock, baby. Bring in the big dog. The Mac, the Mac G.”
This week, McGregor said he was negotiating directly with the US government, rather than UFC boss White.
“I’m not negotiating with the UFC on behalf of myself for this fight like usual,” he said. “I’m negotiating with the United States of America on behalf of Ireland for this fight.
“It’s a peculiar one. Trump and the administration have been fully supportive and backing, and I cannot wait to put on a show.”
McGregor recently claimed he wanted “$100m” and “100 US ‘Golden Visas’” to fight at the event.
In September, McGregor withdrew from a bid to become the president of Ireland, labelling his nation’s election eligibility rules a “straitjacket”.
Also last month, UFC president White said of the planned White House event: “We went to the White House last week, me and my team, and we had the first meeting with him [Trump]. We laid out all the renderings, and we started to get him to sign off on what he likes and doesn’t like. And he loved it, so now we’re diving in headfirst. Now all the work starts.
“The last time I was at the White House, I went up on the roof of the White House, and they’ve got snipers with .50 cals all over the roof of the White House. It’s pretty crazy.
“But yes, I mean, the security is gonna be a massive issue, because at the end of the day, secret service’s job is to protect the president.
“I don’t know how it’s gonna work out as far as having people there live, on the lawn of the White House. It’ll be under 5,000, though.
“But… I can’t remember what they call it, but there’s a park connected to the White House,” White continued, seemingly referencing President’s Park. “We can put 85,000 people over there with screens. We’re gonna put a big stage out there and do concerts. We’re gonna take over Washington DC that whole week.”
