Well, President Trump’s announcement that a UFC event will be held at the White House in 2026 on July 4th seems to have gotten not just McGregor excited but also Jon Jones, who seemingly “retired” two weeks ago.
After Trump’s announcement, McGregor took to his accounts and publicly shared what appeared to be a private exchange with UFC CEO Dana White — essentially pitching himself for a return on what could be the most iconic stage combat sports has ever seen.
Happy 4th of July, USA. 🇺🇸
Excited with President Trump announcing a UFC fight event at the White House.
I would be honoured! Count me in! 🤩☘️
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 4, 2025
It wasn’t long after McGregor’s post that Jones posted a vague but interesting message himself.
“Just re-entered the testing pool, that lasted for about two weeks,” he acknowledged on X. “Figured we’d keep everyone’s options open.”
Just re-entered the testing pool, that lasted for about two weeks. Figured we’d keep everyone’s options open.
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) July 4, 2025
Jones’ longtime manager, Malki Kawa, also confirmed Jones’ actions in an Instagram post that featured Jones’ post on X with the song by Thin Lizzy, “The boys are back in town.”
The UFC has also confirmed the event after President Trump made the announcement during an Iowa rally.
“We’re going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday. “We have a lot of land there.”
Adding that he would expect 20,000 – 25,000 people in attendance.
“Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250. And I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight,” Trump said.
A UFC spokesperson confirmed the event and stated that more details would be released “in due time.”
As usual, there was immediate speculation about whether the White House South Lawn could even hold that many people.
It is estimated that the almost eight-acre lawn could fit up to 38,000 people at 10 square feet per person. However, if you knock that down to 100 square feet per person, that would get you to a total of 28,ooo people.
Now, including the octagon, staff, fighters’ needs, and equipment, it would be reasonable to expect around 15,000-20,000 people in attendance.
