“❌ Fighter removed: Conor McGregor,” read a tweet from UFC Roster Watch. It’s been only a few hours since the popular handle, which tracks fighter additions, removals, and ‘occasional sh*t posts,’ shared the cryptic message. And it has spread like a wildfire. The noise of its impact now echoes across the MMA world. So, no wonder Dana White jumped into the fray to offer a clarification.

Amid widespread rumors, even Ben Askren, who has been recuperating at home after the recent hospital discharge, seemingly fell for it. Tentatively set for July 4, 2026, the UFC White House has gathered considerable traction. The mere thought of fighters slugging it out at the world’s most famous residence has caught the average imagination. But it goes without saying, an event of this scale comes with high-octane drama. Though a confirmed roster remains absent, the card has received a healthy number of volunteers, with Conor McGregor‘s and Jon Jones’ names doing regular rounds.

As it so often happens, when speculation runs wild, the top guy has to sit down and clear the dust lest it snowball into a storm. During an interview, Dana White offered some clarification when Jim Rome asked him about the Jon Jones situation. “Jon Jones retired in late June; do you expect him to stay retired?” the sports radio host asked. “He already came back and said he’s back… He put himself back in the testing pool, saying he wants to fight in the White House. Conor wants to fight at the White House,” White replied, before adding that talks about a potential matchup were yet to take place.

But Rome pressed further. If Jones and McGregor kept pushing to join the White House show, how much did White trust them to show up? “I trust Conor,” White said without hesitation. “Conor McGregor has never, unless he’s seriously injured; this guy has always delivered. Jon, I am a little more skeptical about.”

To set the record straight, Dana White seems to have fired back at the UFC Roster Watch post. “Total BULLSH*T,” he wrote. And fans could breathe easier when Ariel Helwani too weighed in on the McGregor situation. “Conor McGregor HAS NOT parted ways with the UFC. “Both @TheNotoriousMMA and his team confirmed this to me,” Helwani wrote. “He also confirmed he is back in the pool and has submitted tests, and all have come back clean. “It’s all systems a go,” he said.”

A few days ago, on the Pardon My Take podcast, Dana White opened up about Conor McGregor’s potential return.

Conor McGregor’s comeback conundrum

“I mean, if you see, he’s been posting videos of himself training. He’s back in the pool now.” He wants the White House fight,” White said when asked if McGregor would fight in the UFC again. “If he starts getting in shape and training and stays the course, that’s the fight he wants. He keeps telling me he wants that fight. know. Okay. We’ll see how it plays out over the next several months.”

Clearly, the UFC Roster Watch tweet sent fans into overdrive, fueling wild conclusions. The account later offered an explanation. However, claims about McGregor pulling out after failing a doping test lingered. In what seemed to be a deleted post, McGregor wrote, “First test fully clean. Pri*k.” The message included a screenshot of a conversation. “Piro called yesterday. 1st clean. Nice!” he wrote, to which he received a response, “Will be sending official notice next week.”

At the bottom, McGregor added, “a 100% natural animal.” Still, the prevalence of screenshots seemingly failed to deter a few from raising some intriguing questions. On his X handle, Ben Askren wrote, “Did he fail the 1st dr*g test and call it a day??”

These developments came just days after news of UFC’s new deal with Paramount broke. Hence, fans will have to stay tuned as the situation unfolds in the days ahead.

Do you think Conor McGregor will make a successful UFC return?