Jason Burgos
A new report claims Conor McGregor being on the UFC White House card is a no-go.
Fight fans haven’t seen the Irishman compete in a ring or cage in five years. After a pair of failed bookings, most gave up on the idea of a return to action. However, when President Donald Trump revealed plans for a UFC event on the lawn of the White House, McGregor immediately made it clear he wanted in.
While the idea of the most famous fighter in MMA history being on its most historic card makes sense, there has been no evidence of fight was close to being made. “Notorious” going public with his frustration about the lack of communication from the UFC, despite training for a fight, was further proof that it probably wouldn’t happen.
Conor McGregor record: 22-6 (19 knockouts, 1 submission)
Well, on Saturday, veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani may have put the final nail in the coffin that was the idea of McGregor fighting at the White House. In a new report, he claimed his sources have suggested it “doesn’t look like” the former-two divison will be competing in DC in June.
The reason is that the event will be a financial loss for the UFC, and meeting the terms of his previous contract (including pay-per-view points) would only add to the debt. However, that is why Helwani claims that if he still wants to fight, he could be in the main event of their international fight week card in July. In that case, that event could be a PPV card where McGregor can get paid at the same level he is used to.
The big question is, will Conor McGregor still be interested in a far less meaningful event in the summer? He has lacked the motivation to continue his fighting career for years. The White House card brought the inspiration he lacked.
It will be interesting to see if the 37-year-old still has the same drive to train and compete at a regular UFC event after making it clear he wanted to be on the historic show in June.
