The biggest talking point in the MMA world at the moment is not one that involves a particular fighter, but one that involves the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the potential of something historic that 30 years ago would have been a crazy pipedream.
The U.S.' Fourth of July celebrations this year marked the beginning of a year-long celebratory series of events that will lead to the country's Semiquincentennial -- the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaring its independence from Great Britain.
During one of this year's U.S. Independence Day events, Trump hyped up a vision of what he sees for next year's grand celebration on July 4, 2026 (a Saturday). And Trump mentioned a UFC "fight" occuring on the lawn of the White House.
Turns out, this isn't just hearsay, as the UFC would confirm to reporters that while nothing is set in stone, plans are indeed in motion for a July 4, 2026 card to be held in the nation's capital.
Hours later, the likes of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones each posted to social media about interest in fighting on the card. This comes when McGregor hasn't fought in the Octagon since 2021 and Jones announced a comeback after retiring and relinquishing the UFC heavyweight championship just two weeks earlier.
With MMA insider and personality Ariel Helwani and his crew -- Petersy Carroll, Conner Burks, and Eric Jackman -- back in the studio earlier this week, the group discussed what such an event could mean, if such an event is possible, and why fighters are scrambling to be a part of the card.
Is A UFC Card At The White House A Realistic Possibility? Who Would Be Part Of It?
Helwani and the others weren't in complete agreement on if the card actually happens; however, they were in agreement about the significance of such a card -- and perhaps why fighters want in on this. A UFC event on White House grounds would mark one of, if not the, most visible and mainstream moments for the sport of MMA in its history.
"It'd be the biggest spot MMA has ever been in, wouldn't it?" said Petesy Carroll. "Could you imagine what that would look like in terms of a spectacle? Like we talked about the spectacle of the Sphere and stuff. Like, could you imagine that? The White House in the background with the Octagon."
In fact, as Helwani mentions, MMA was targeted by American politicians and banned in most states 30 years ago. An event in the capital of the United States, on one of the country's most prominent landmarks, underscores just how far the UFC has come.
"Ten years ago, it was still banned in New York," Helwani said. "And to think that 10 years later -- actually, the symbolism of [Trump] being elected the same week as the first show at MSG, 10 years later, an actual event at the White House -- is pretty insane."
That said, question arose as to the logistics of putting on such a card. President Trump said he sees 25,000+ people on the White House grounds, with Helwani and company being very skeptical of such a sight with proper maximum security measures put in place.
Scheduling also came into question, as while July 4, 2026, is a Saturday, it would put the event one week after the recent running dates of the UFC's International Fight Week event (the last weekend of June). While some proposed the idea of moving International Fight Week to DC (which would be a whole other headache in itself) or re-scheduling International Fight Week, Helwani feels it's doable to keep the week where it is and make what he would consider the most anticipated two-week period for the UFC.
On that note, it brings up the question of what kind of an event a UFC White House card would be -- a traditional pay-per-view, a prominent Fight Night card (on either Netflix or ABC, depending on if Netflix and/or ESPN get the UFC's US TV rights for 2026 and beyond), or a small but meaningful card similar to what the UFC had went it first joined up with FOX in 2011.
What Fighters Would Be Involved On A UFC White House Card?
As mentioned, McGregor and Jones are the two most prominent names who volunteered for a card. And Carroll mentioned that despite circumstances and controversies surrounding both men, it's not surprising that both have raised their hand -- and that the two would be in consideration for such a unique event.
"It doesn't surprise me that likes Jones and Connor are suddenly interested in in being there," Carroll said. "I mean, Connor had a massive PR pop when he arrived in the White House on St. Patrick's Day -- and [that] kind of became the catalyst for this political career he's embarking on. So, I mean it would be a huge, huge deal."
While Carroll is more than skeptical of the idea, the Boys in the Back (Burks and Jackman) add that McGregor would bring a fitting boost to such a unique event, and that it would be a "perfect" time for him to fight Chandler -- a fight that has been anticipated since 2023 before ultimately getting canceled in 2024.
As far as Jones goes if there is one fight to make, Carroll feels there's "one f****** fight to make" despite the Jones-Aspinall negotiations falling through officially with Jones' brief retirement stint, which promoted Aspinall to undisputed champion.
Debates went through the group, however, about if one of them should headline given their baggage, as well as McGregor not being an American (though Chandler is). It also sparks debate about what fighters (with Bo Nickal and Sean Strickland's names thrown out there) could be on the card -- and if the fighter selections would be based on name value, lack of controversy, etc. This also comes at a time where Kayla Harrison is the sole American champion in the UFC.
A question was brought up additionally about if the UFC would be willing to sacrifice a high-revenue making fight like a Jones vs. Aspinall or McGregor vs. Chandler for the sake of the press they'd get for such a unique, historical, and political event.