Conor McGregor says a fight at the White House in 2026 is signed and delivered. Now comes the hard work of training himself back up to being one of the best fighters in the world.
McGregor hasn’t fought since a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier which saw him break his leg clean in half. “The Notorious” was just two weeks out from a comeback fight in 2024 when he broke his pinky toe and withdrew. Since then he’s been more interested in politics and business than fighting, but he assured fans in an interview with MMA Junkie that UFC would be his focus for the six months leading up to the White House.
”I have eight months and change out from the White House event, McGregor said. “It’s a six month operation. I consider it a six month operation to get ready for this bout. And that’s my focus right now. I’m eager to climb the steps into being ready for my return. There’s a lot at stake and I’m very excited at the opportunity.”
“I was right there with my last one, I was in incredible condition, incredibly well prepared, and just a slight lapse in concentration led to an injury. I wish to correct that and show what I’m about and that’s it. I’m eager to get back and we’ll see what the future holds after that.”
McGregor has spent the last few years jetsetting and yachting, but vowed to tamp down on all of that and go into self-imposed isolation to regain the top form we saw from him between 2013 to 2016, where he became the first two-division UFC champion.
“There will be a period of isolation for sure where the phone will not be answered,” he said. “And all my people involved with me understand that it is coming and as I said, it’s a six month operation. I’m under no illusion of what lies ahead of me in my preparation efforts. So the phone will be switched off and the work will be executed.”
Now he says the White House deal is signed and delivered, but that’s in doubt until UFC CEO Dana White confirms a contract has been signed. And then we have to wait and see if McGregor’s body (and mind) can hold up to eight months of distractions and an intense training camp now that he’s 37 years old and millions of dollars richer.
