LAS VEGAS — UFC is already gearing up for what Dana White is predicting to be “the greatest fight card ever assembled” for the 250th celebration of the United States of America.
The promotion’s CEO has fielded endless questions about a potential UFC event at the White House since the idea was first floated earlier this year. Now, as the concept inches closer to reality, the intrigue surrounding the June 2026 card continues to build — with major names across the roster expressing interest. White made his boldest promise yet Saturday at UFC 320’s post-fight press conference.
“If you look at what we’re looking down the barrel of now, we’re about to go on a new network on Paramount,” White said. “We need to deliver a massive, incredible card in January. Then in February, we’ll start looking at building the White House card, which I will right now tell you will be the greatest fight card ever assembled in the history of, at least, definitely this company.”
The move to Paramount marks a major shift for the UFC after years under ESPN’s broadcast umbrella. With the promotion set to debut its $7.7 billion deal on its new broadcast platform in January, next summer’s historic White House card appears positioned as a centerpiece of this next chapter.
White clarified that the project remains in its early stages.
“We’re still talking about the production and how everything’s gonna work at the White House,” he explained. “We have not started negotiating any fights for the White House yet.”
White said the UFC is still actively working on early-stage plans of what the lineup may look like, and acknowledged that several superstars are already lobbying to be part of history — including the sport’s biggest box-office draw, Conor McGregor. In recent weeks, McGregor claimed he was negotiating directly with the U.S. government on a $100 million deal for the event, then later claimed it was a “done deal” that he’d be fighting at the July 4 celebration event, adding fuel to the growing hype.
White, however, was quick to temper expectations.
“I made it clear Conor wants to fight on that card, and you can clearly see Conor is very fired up to fight on that card,” White said. “But nothing is done yet, and no fights are being negotiated with the White House.”
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
McGregor, 36, hasn’t competed since suffering a broken leg in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021. The former two-division champion has repeatedly teased his return and continues to target Michael Chandler as his comeback opponent. The Irishman’s inclusion on a historic White House card would mark one of the sport’s most long-awaited returns — and likely one of its biggest events of all time, with or without him.
White also quelled the flames of speculation sparked by the recent resurfacing of another former megastar in the MMA world: UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey.
Rousey, 38, has largely stepped away from the spotlight to focus on family life after a seven-year hiatus from the sport and a successful run in WWE. But the former bantamweight champ surprised many by posting new training footage in September, which showed her hitting pads in the gym and was accompanied by the proclamation that she is “finding my love” for MMA again.
“Her and I are still very close,” White said. “We probably talk once every three months or something like that. She was in Vegas recently and came by the offices. I don’t know what her plans are — I think she’s just training.
“She just had three babies, and she’s in a whole other place in her life. But I will say this — she just had another baby, and she’s in great shape right now. She’s freaking ripped like she used to be.”
