It hasn’t been long since the conversation for White House card began, and former UFC double champion Conor McGregor threw his hat into the mix, vying for the headlining spot atop the event. He recently even confirmed that his fight on the White House lawn would be against Michael Chandler. “The Mac is excited to get back for sure,” McGregor told Fox&Friends. “I’m on [the White House card]. This is me. [I’m fighting] Michael Chandler.”

If Conor’s admission wasn’t enough on its own, UFC CEO Dana White hinted at a positive conversation. “Conor and I have been talking consistently. Conor wants this fight badly, and when you get to a level Conor is at, you have to find things that motivate you, and the White House card definitely motivates him,” White said, although he didn’t outright confirm it. However, there’s another man who has gotten mixed up in the conversation—Nate Diaz. 

Will Conor McGregor end up fighting Nate Diaz?

Speaking about the White House card, expected to play out in July next year, Executive Producer at Uncrowned, Eric Jackman, told Denis Shkuratov of Submission Radio, “I think he’s coming back. And some of the signs that I believe point to that is last time Conor McGregor was pushing for a comeback, it seemed one-sided.” Jackman suggested that Dana White was previously not really interested in McGregor’s comeback, as he made excuses to avoid it. However, Jackman feels White’s tone has shifted.

“Now, Dana White’s tune is, ‘We’re talking. We’re talking to Conor McGregor.’ That’s sign number one. Because if Dana’s in your corner and if Dana thinks you’re coming back, then the chances are that you’ve already had this conversation and you’re planning for it.” The other reason Jackman feels McGregor is likely coming back is because of his withdrawal from Ireland’s presidential run. 

“Not that I think this was going to be a prolonged thing anyway, but I think there’s no better time to now focus in on what the primary trade is… for now, your calendar’s clear and you could be looking at a fight sometime in the middle of next year,” he added. While Jackman was confident McGregor’s return was inevitable, he wasn’t too sure about who the opponent would be for McGregor on the White House card. 

“Whether Michael Chandler or Nate Diaz or whoever else is the opponent, that part I don’t know,” Jackman continued. He explained that leaning towards Chandler, who was previously supposed to fight McGregor, but the fight was canceled due to McGregor’s toe injury, is easy because McGregor involved him. However, “come time, all of a sudden, that Nate Diaz option might look a little more attractive depending on how big this card ultimately ends up being.”

In the end, though, Jackman claimed during the interview that it doesn’t really matter who McGregor fights, still for him, “there’s more interest from me in the Nate Diaz fight than there is for the Michael Chandler fight” because of the history McGregor and Diaz share. McGregor and Diaz have, of course, fought twice, each winning one fight, leaving a possibility for a third rubber match. And from what Diaz said about the potential fight, it’s definitely possible.

Nate Diaz on fighting Conor McGregor in a trilogy

It’s no secret that the demand for a trilogy between Conor McGregor and Diaz has been bubbling for years since their two fights. While Diaz is eager to jump into a fight headfirst, he admits that locking down an opponent hasn’t been easy. Speaking with MMA Junkie at DBX 3, the Stockton star said, “Nobody’s free so there ain’t nobody to fight. I want to fight three times a year, but everyone is f—king locked down. So it’s a matter of time. I’m trying to fight ASAP.”

When asked who has his attention right now, Diaz responded, “At the moment I don’t got nothing to see until it pops up in my grill.” The conversation then turned to UFC’s historic White House card in July 2026, an event Diaz is keen to join. “100 percent,” he said. “That’s the most thing I’m looking forward to.” As for a long-awaited trilogy with Conor McGregor, Diaz kept it simple, “Yeah, for sure. We’ll see what happens. Time will tell, guys.”

Wrapping up, Conor McGregor is all but confirmed to join the White House card. However, only time will tell who his opponent will turn out to be. Who would you want McGregor to fight?