The UFC’s White House event is uncharted territory for the promotion due to the sheer scale. But the moment TKO COO Mark Shapiro revealed there would be no tickets sold to the public, the conversation shifted. Fans weren’t just stunned, they were shut out. And that’s when Conor McGregor stepped in. Because when the gates close for everyone else, ‘The Notorious’ doesn’t stand outside knocking. He kicks the door open.

Shapiro’s confirmation, shared by Jed I. Goodman on X, was blunt, “There will be no ticket sales for the UFC White House event.” Why? Shapiro explained that the spectacle isn’t built for revenue. It’s built for reach, prestige, and media dominance. But fans don’t care about branding strategies; they care about seats.

And as the debate brewed online, McGregor posted a simple Instagram story aimed directly at the firestorm, “I’ll have tickets @realbetio.”

That single line did two things. It signaled the Irishman’s intention to be part of the event, and it contradicted TKO’s top executive in the most McGregor way possible.

Shapiro, meanwhile, continued laying out the company’s thinking. He said the June 14 card, scheduled on Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday, will be a “spectacle on steroids.” He repeated that “there will be no ticket sales,” insisting the UFC will make up the lost gate with “brand reach, engagement, notoriety, press, earned media [and] advertiser interest.”

So if there are no tickets, who exactly gets in? VIPs? Politicians? Sponsors? The roster? It’s one of many unanswered questions swirling around an event still being built from the ground up. And then President Trump threw gasoline on the hype.

At the Kennedy Center Honors, he teased a card featuring “eight or nine championship fights,” claiming Dana White is “holding back fights right now for six months so he can do it for 250.” Hyperbole? Maybe. Ambition? Definitely.

But nobody is leaning into that ambition more than Conor McGregor. Just days earlier, he confirmed he expects to fight at the White House. Despite still awaiting the UFC’s matchmaking call, his intent was ironclad as he told Bloody Elbow, “The White House is on. We’re just waiting for a full confirmation. I assume around February, they’ll come reaching out, and we’ll go into the contract negotiations and matchmaking orders, that’s what they say. So I’m just staying ready in the gym, two times a day.”

McGregor hasn’t fought since 2021, withdrew from UFC 303 due to injury, and remains without an official opponent. Michael Chandler is still waiting. The UFC hasn’t begun building the card. The entire event exists in a strange limbo between presidential hype and executive caution, but for ‘The Notorious’, his return isn’t just about the White House card!

“Triple crown” in Conor McGregor’s crosshairs as he takes aim at Islam Makhachev

If Conor McGregor does come back, he doesn’t just picture himself on a novelty card or a ceremonial victory lap. He sees gold. He sees legacy. And he’s already plotting which throne he wants to steal next. So, who does a man who’s already held titles in two divisions set his sights on? According to McGregor, the answer is simple: Islam Makhachev.

During his aforementioned conversation with Bloody Elbow, McGregor didn’t disguise his ambition. He said, “I’m motivated. I’m self-motivated and I for sure want a crack at that belt. I for sure want a crack at that 170-pound belt to go for the triple crown.”

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But can he really jump straight into a title fight against the welterweight king? That’s where the story gets interesting. Makhachev sits atop MMA Fighting’s pound-for-pound rankings. McGregor hasn’t won since January 2020, his fight against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

And then there’s the history. The Irish superstar’s rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov still casts a long shadow, and Makhachev is ‘The Eagle’s protégé. That alone adds a layer of fire that few matchups can replicate. McGregor knows it, and he knows what kind of storyline the UFC loves to sell.

According to him, “It would be a good fight, a good scrap, Southpaw, southpaw. It was a good performance out of him and fair play to him, he had the courage to do it, to go up. So yeah, I’m excited for it, let’s see what happens. Let’s get back in the mix. ”

So while fans scramble to understand who will or won’t get access to the White House event, McGregor isn’t worried about tickets. He’s worried about thrones. And whether the UFC gives him Makhachev or someone else, one thing is already clear, Conor McGregor plans to return where he believes he belongs, at the center of the spotlight!