There’s keeping your cards close to your chest, and then there’s whatever Dana White is doing right now. Over the last few weeks, the UFC CEO has done nothing but turn down the numerous big fight options being discussed on social media for the White House event in June. The latest entry on that list? Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal!

McGregor vs. Masvidal made headlines after White dismissed the long-discussed Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor bout as an option for the June 14 event. The setting only fueled it further at the UFC event at the White House on June 14. But according to the bossman, it was all noise, and not the kind he had any interest in entertaining.

TMZ’s interviewer laid it out bluntly, saying McGregor vs. Masvidal had become “the biggest thing on social media,” especially with Michael Chandler seemingly out of the picture. White’s response?

“In my algorithm on Instagram, I have nothing MMA. Literally nothing MMA. I don’t listen to any of the goofy s—.” When asked if that rumor qualified as “goofy,” White didn’t hesitate. “That’s goofy s—” He even doubled down, explaining that he actively avoids MMA chatter online because, in his words, “almost everything you see on the internet about our sport is wrong. It’s all wrong.”

He revealed that the McGregor–Masvidal buzz never even crossed his radar, not because it was secretive, but because he doesn’t value speculation masquerading as reporting. Matchmaking for the White House card hasn’t even begun yet. Dana White has been clear that serious discussions won’t start until after UFC 324 wraps up.

He expects to have the top three fights locked in by early February, with the rest of the card coming together shortly after. In other words, anyone claiming certainty right now is guessing. So, where does that leave things?

It leaves Conor McGregor still very much in limbo. The White House card remains real. The date is circled, and the intrigue and hype are clearly undeniable. But two potential opponents, Chandler and Masvidal, have now been publicly dismissed by the one man whose opinion actually counts. However, according to the Irishman, there’s one other hurdle that needs to be addressed: his UFC contract.

Conor McGregor reveals he’ll be negotiating a new UFC contract soon

In Conor McGregor’s mind, the UFC landscape has changed, and so has his leverage. With the promotion’s $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount, the Irishman believes the contract he signed years ago no longer applies. That belief has now become central to his comeback plan.

Speaking during a video game stream with his son and popular creators, McGregor sounded anything but uncertain about returning, “I’m warming up now for the White House fight, I’m gonna be at it, yeah. For sure.”

The White House event is rumored to feature as many as seven title fights, but ‘The Notorious’ knows the spotlight will still follow him. After all, he owns eight of the top ten highest-selling PPVs in UFC history, a stat no one else in the sport can touch. And that stat is the hurdle we mentioned earlier.

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“I’m going into negotiations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in February,” he said, “They’ve actually got a new deal with Paramount. It’s worth $7.7 billion, so the company has 4x its profit.”

McGregor argued that his previous UFC contract no longer applies because it was structured around pay-per-view sales, a model he believes is now outdated with the shift to Paramount. This is not just a concern for McGregor, but for all big-name stars who made bank from PPV shares.

Yesterday, Dominick Cruz told Ariel Helwani that PPV was the only reason he ever made a million dollars from a fight. It was when he was in the co-main event of UFC 207, headlined by Ronda Rousey, another big-name star like McGregor.

Even with his popularity and record PPV sellouts, McGregor only earned a meagre fraction of the UFC’s profit, making him one of the most underpaid athletes in a promotion that is constantly under fire over fighter pay. That’s why he believes he’s owed a new deal and confirmed that contract negotiations with the promotion are set to begin in February.

So, the bigger battle isn’t about who stands across the Octagon from him, it’s about what happens across the negotiating table in February. Until those talks are resolved, everything else remains speculation. The White House card is coming, the spotlight is waiting, but whether Conor McGregor actually walks into it will depend less on viral matchups and more on contracts, timing, and whether the UFC and its biggest star can finally find common ground again.