Conor McGregor Coming Back To UFC For Trump’s White House Fight: ‘Done Deal, Signed’ – TKO Group Holdings (NYSE:TKO)

One of the biggest UFC fighters of all time has announced that he will compete in the fight scheduled to take place at the White House on July 4, 2026.

Here’s why the fighter’s inclusion is important for UFC parent TKO Group Holdings (NYSE:TKO) and Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ:PSKY).

McGregor’s Return Tops UFC White House Event

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump expressed his desire to host a UFC fight on the White House lawn as part of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

This would mark the first professional sporting event to take place at the White House, and UFC CEO Dana White expressed early support for Trump’s plan.

White shared in August that the fight had been officially signed, and this week, news dropped of one of the first fighters added to what is expected to be a huge fight card.

UFC fighter Conor McGregor confirmed that he has signed to fight at the UFC White House event in an interview with Sean Hannity.

“Done deal, signed, delivered. McGregor will compete in the White House for America’s 250th birthday,” McGregor said.

McGregor told Hannity that he has been in “constant communication” with White regarding the fight and his return to the UFC after a prolonged absence.

McGregor’s last UFC fight was in 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier after breaking his leg. It was his second consecutive defeat to Poirier and his third loss in four fights.

McGregor was set to return to UFC in 2024 in a fight against Michael Chandler, but withdrew due to injury. McGregor’s UFC White House opponent is unknown, but some believe it could be Chandler.

McGregor is 22-6 in his professional MMA career, including a 10-4 record in UFC.

Read Also: UFC At White House ‘Definitely Going To Happen’: President Trump To Get ‘One Of One’ Fighting Experience

McGregor Could Boost Viewership, Advertising Opportunity

The return of McGregor could amplify the fight that will already likely see a strong audience on television, thanks to its place in America’s 250th anniversary celebration.

McGregor knows what he means to the UFC and made that known during his interview with Hannity.

“I’m the highest generating fighter of all time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship,” McGregor said.

While the fight at the White House will likely have lower attendance and in-person revenue than fights at huge arenas, the fight could be among the most-watched in years, benefiting new media rights partner Paramount Skydance.

Paramount+ and Skydance have signed a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal that begins in 2026 and will feature UFC fights on CBS and Paramount+, replacing the traditional pay-per-view model.

When it comes to viewership, McGregor is among the top draws for the UFC. According to FrontOfficeSports, McGregor’s fights are eight of the top 10 most-watched pay-per-view UFC fights, including the top seven overall.

Here are the top five most-watched UFC fights on pay-per-view, according to the report:

McGregor represents a total of 12.7 million pay-per-view buys for the UFC and is the only fighter to be involved in fights that had more than 1.3 million buys. The non-McGregor fights in the top ten tied at 1.3 million buys were UFC 251 and UFC 100.

Along with UFC, McGregor also saw strong viewership when he boxed Floyd Mayweather in 2017. The boxing match had 4.3 million pay-per-view buys, grossing $600 million. The fight ranks second all-time for boxing behind the 2015 Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight that had 4.4 million PPV buys.

Paramount Skydance will have several months ahead of the fight to launch promotions and target advertisers for the event. For a company that just signed a $7.7 billion deal, being part of a White House first in its first year of coverage could be a huge starting point.

Read Next:

Photo: Michael Potts F1 / Shutterstock.com