Conor McGregor is back at it again! After months of speculation, delays, and a toe injury that derailed his UFC 303 comeback, the Irish superstar has begun stoking the flames of his long-awaited return. And this time, the battlefield he’s eyeing isn’t Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden. So where exactly does McGregor want to throw down next? How about the White House Lawn?
In his latest Instagram story, McGregor shared a short clip of himself moving inside a training room, suited up in full protective gear. The footage was captioned with just two bold words: “WHITE HOUSE.”
There were no wild punches or flashy kicks. Just ‘The Notorious’ ducking, weaving, and even slipping an attempted leg sweep from a sparring partner. It was a subtle message by ‘The Notorious’. After all, the clip on his Instagram story comes just days after the US President announced that a UFC event on the White House grounds could be in the cards for 2026 as a part of America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.
With 20,000 to 25,000 fans expected in attendance according to the POTUS’s speech made at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Conor McGregor didn’t waste a second before throwing his hat back into the ring.
In another post on his Instagram account, the Irish MMA icon shared an AI-generated photo of himself and his rival, Michael Chandler facing off in front of what looks to be the Oval Office and captioned it, “The only place where disputes truly get settled: The White House.”
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That wasn’t all. He also shared an image from his visit to the White House with the President on X and wrote, “Happy 4th of July, USA. Excited with President Trump announcing a UFC fight event at the White House. I would be honoured! Count me in!”
Fans will remember that McGregor and Chandler were originally set to fight at UFC 303 after coaching opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter 31. But a fractured toe for McGregor forced the bout’s cancellation. Since then, the clock has ticked without any solid plans. Now, with President Trump proposing an event on the nation’s most iconic lawn, the pieces might finally fall into place!
And while ‘The Notorious’s posts have sent rumbles through the MMA sphere, Michael Chandler hasn’t stayed silent either. He’s now fired back and re-ignited the flames of a fight many thought had already lost the spark.
Michael Chandler fires back at Conor McGregor by offering a “red, white, and blue” beatdown at the White House
What’s more American than fireworks on the Fourth of July? According to Michael Chandler, it’s planting your feet on the White House lawn and throwing hands with Conor McGregor.
After the Irish superstar lit up social media with his intentions to settle their score in 2026 at the White House, ‘Iron’ didn’t waste time and delivered a classic call out. Using the image of their face-off McGregor had shared on his Instagram story, Chandler wrote, “Anybody fancy a good old-fashioned, passionate red, white, and blue a— whoopin on the lawn of the White House?”
For Chandler, who many felt had wasted a lot of his prime chasing a ghost, this White House event might be the final window to finally get that payday, and that fight.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor’s latest return tease seems more serious than the last dozen. Between the AI face-off, the sparring clips, and screenshots of his back-and-forth with Dana White, ‘Notorious’ is clearly trying to shift gears. Whether it leads to the Octagon or not remains to be seen. But Chandler has seen enough.
So, is the White House really about to become the most iconic Octagon setting in UFC history? With Conor McGregor showing signs of a serious return and Michael Chandler more fired up than ever, the dream clash might finally be within reach!
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