Which Megafight Will Main Event the UFC White House Card?

One has to sit back and appreciate just how far the UFC has come in recent years. In 2026, the planet's elite MMA fighting organization could well host one of its flagship events from the grounds of the White House itself.

The proposed UFC White House Card, slated for June 2026 to honor America's 250th birthday, will be one of those moments where the world stands still. On the South Lawn, under the American flag, with world leaders and millions of global viewers looking on, the UFC’s vision is to outdo even its own wildest ambitions.

One thing that hasn’t yet been decided, however, is which fights would headline any potential White House card. Current UFC talk with fans, analysts, and odds providers alike centers around December's upcoming title fight between bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and rival Petr Yan. The latest UFC odds make the champ a huge -450 betting favorite to retain the gold, but soon, all talk will focus on the White House. Plenty of rumors have been flying throughout 2025 as to who will headline, but which contests look the most likely to main event? Let's take a look.

Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

It has been four long years since Conor McGregor last fought in the UFC, with back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021 seemingly ending his stint as the most-watched fighter on the planet once and for all. Throughout that entire time frame, one has had to spare a thought for Michael Chandler. The former Bellator champion has campaigned for a fight with the Irishman for the better part of three years, initially squaring off against him as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter in 2023, leading up to a fight between the two in December of that year.

That fight, however, never came to fruition. McGregor pulled out with an injury, and while Chandler has clamored for the bout in the two years since, nothing has ever materialized. Until now. It has been rumored that the White House lawn could provide the motivation required for McGregor to finally end his hiatus, with the long-anticipated clash with Chandler seemingly the only option.

The Notorious One remains UFC’s most bankable figure even after years on the sidelines. Beneath the bravado lies a fighter who, by the numbers, has singlehandedly redefined global MMA viewership—the UFC's seven most bought pay-per-view shows all featuring McGregor. Opposite him, you get Chandler: an American original, forged in the Bellator crucible, who, despite suffering numerous losses, always puts on a show.

McGregor’s laser counterpunching versus Chandler’s all-gas, no-brakes aggression is more than just a clash of styles; it’s a test of how chaos and calculation can both define greatness in modern MMA. On a night that promises to transcend sport, this fight wouldn’t just headline—it would immortalize.

Jon Jones: Torn Between Legacies

A fixture in the GOAT debate, Jon Jones is the architect of records that sometimes feel untouchable: 28 UFC wins, more title defenses than some divisions even have belt histories. Yet even icons must answer the next call, and for Jones, two names now dominate his own White House indecision.

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Option One: Tom Aspinall

Britain's Tom Aspinall has stormed the heavyweight landscape with a blend of agility and finishing precision rarely witnessed at 265 pounds. After lapping the field with a string of first-round finishes against the likes of Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes, he claimed not just the interim but eventually the undisputed strap—by default, after Jones’ abrupt 2025 retirement dodged their long-teased showdown.

Now, the White House card beckons, and the prospect of fighting in front of POTUS reportedly has Jonny Bones back in the testing pool, tantalized by the chance to defend America’s fighting pride against England’s new lion. Dana White’s trust in Jones has wavered due to Jones backing out of a previously proposed unification fight with Aspinal, despite a verbal agreement being in place. The event’s stakes, however, American dominance on the world’s most symbolic lawn, could finally coerce Jones into cementing his legacy where it matters most.

Option Two: Alex Pereira

For Jones, the alternate path to immortality is the one that he has made no mistake in declaring his favorite, a path that runs through Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira. Poatan’s ascent to superstardom has had plenty of twists and turns, but his recent 80-second demolition of Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim light heavyweight gold has fueled speculation that only a historic superfight can satisfy his ambitions.

On paper, Jones’ tactical wrestling and reach are antidotes to Pereira’s deadly hooks. But on the White House stage, intangibles matter: legacy, pressure, the magnitude of the occasion. With all the important figures acknowledging the global allure, Jones versus Pereira could redefine cross-divisional super-bouts, providing the inescapable drama of Jones chasing one last conquest.