New York Ric insists UFC White House plans center on Conor McGregor, with Jon Jones as fallback

The UFC is setting its sights on a historic event at the White House in June 2026, and a Conor McGregor fight could serve as the marquee attraction.

If he cannot compete, Jon Jones is expected to be the fallback option. Other fighters, including rising stars and American favorites, may be considered to round off the card. However, by the looks of it, the focus remains on having recognizable names on the card who can draw a wide audience and provide compelling matchups.

Executive producer of Uncrowned Combat, Eric Jackman, shed light on the UFC's priority list in terms of fighters they want to headline the card. He said:

"I think to me this feels like it's Conor McGregor or bust, right? It's like if you have Conor McGregor, you're not putting Khamzat [Chimaev], you're not putting Jon Jones, you're not doing that. If, for some reason or another, Conor cannot, I do think you call Jon Jones. I think he's the first name you want to call next. But if you've got Khamzat, I don't think that's a bad opportunity either. You need somebody who a wide audience is gonna really recognize and also deliver in terms of the fight."

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Check out Eric Jackman's comments below:

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Chael Sonnen claims Conor McGregor might not be part of the UFC White House card

Conor McGregor is seemingly expected to miss the UFC White House event in June 2026, according to Chael Sonnen. He believes the Irishman's prolonged inactivity has left him disconnected from the current competitive landscape.

The former UFC fighter believes that the organizers are focused on delivering title bouts and high-stakes matchups, and McGregor’s absence from championship contention complicates that plan. Despite his global star power, the historic nature of the White House event will overshadow individual fighters.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:

“I struggle with it because we’re openly saying if we’re going to put Conor on there that there’s no title unless you believe that Conor McGregor is going to demote himself, right? The biggest draw should be the main event. Your biggest star, regardless of belt, should be the main event."

He added:

"But in this case, if our biggest draw and our biggest star is not a champion or a contender in any weight class, we’re going to acknowledge upfront that our biggest show will not contain a title, which makes it a little difficult down the road to go... In fact, we [could get] two titles up. Yes, you heard me. There are two titles. When can you ever get that?”

Edited by Abhishek Nambiar