Conor McGregor revealed ongoing negotiations with the UFC for a summer return, expressing flexibility around the recently announced White House card on June 14, 2026. The former two-division champion dismissed rumors of headlining the historic event but confirmed a comeback 'sometime in the summer.' He shared the update outside his Black Forge restaurant in Ireland.
Now 37, McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. A planned 2024 bout with Michael Chandler was scrapped due to a training toe injury, and a drug test suspension sidelines him until late March 2026.
"I am in negotiations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship about the bout, either the White House or thereabouts," McGregor told DrinkLitt. "Sometime in the summer, McGregor will return."
Reports suggest he will skip the White House card on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., with International Fight Week in July as another option. McGregor previously visited the White House to meet President Donald Trump and expressed early interest in the event. Outside fighting, he co-owns a stake in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
This follows UFC President Dana White's dismissal of McGregor-Chandler rumors for the card and comes amid McGregor's pattern of delayed returns.