Conor McGregor doesn’t need a fight announcement to get people talking. A quick clip, a throwaway line, or simply a joke in the gym is generally enough to spark the same old conversations about comebacks, relevancy, and if the window is still open. This time, a training clip did the trick.

One moment of control on the mat, followed by McGregor grinning and telling his sparring partner, “You’re under arrest! Stop resisting!” It seemed playful on the surface, but the timing did all the work. With reports of a White House return still circulating online, every scrap of footage feels like it’s being seen through a different lens. Is this preparation, promotion, or just Conor McGregor enjoying the limelight again?

Conor McGregor works on his ground game ahead of rumored return

The clip itself was simple: ‘The Notorious’ working his ground game, locking in a choke, and forcing the opponent to tap. No explosion or chaos. Just control. Enough to remind fans that he is still training diligently while yet keeping things theatrical in his own unique style. And that was all it needed for the speculation to restart.

Some fans jumped straight to conclusions about his future, believing the dots were already connected. “Conor is definitely on the White House card,” one said, while another left the obvious question hanging: “Who is he even fighting at the White House?” The uncertainty didn’t end there, either. “Will he fight again?” popped up repeatedly, with nostalgia-fueled hope: “Would still love to see Conor vs. Michael Chandler.”

Then followed the laughs, since Conor McGregor never exists in a serious vacuum. The law enforcement bit drew just as much attention as the choke itself. “Imagine getting citizens arrested & it’s f—— Conor McGregor,” one fan quipped. Another really leaned into the meme: “Don’t think he’s preparing for a fight. He is preparing to join ICE.” The cleanest take on the running gag was, “They should stop resisting when it’s Agent McGregor.”

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

However, not everyone was focused on politics, punchlines, or hypotheticals. A quieter thread ran underneath the noise, focusing on what version of Conor McGregor fans want to see if he returns. Some fans were unimpressed with the grappling clip. “Even though he’s working on his jiu-jitsu, I’d love to see him get loose with that karate stance again,” a user stated.

Another dug deeper into technique, claiming that the boxing-heavy style may make more sense now: “Honestly, I think the boxing stance we’ve seen in the Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Cerrone, and Dustin Poirier fights would suit him better at this stage of his career.” The topic of age also came up, not as an insult, but as reality.

“He honestly should focus on defense more than anything,” one fan wrote, emphasizing that the past explosiveness can no longer be taken for granted. It wasn’t hate. It was caution. And that’s where ‘The Notorious’ is right now: midway between belief and doubt, jokes and genuine curiosity.

A single tap in the gym will not answer the bigger questions. But it doesn’t have to. As long as he shows up, the debate stays live, and Conor McGregor remains the sport’s loudest unanswered question. But one answer that has been answered is about his rumored comeback fight against Colby Covington. So, will the Irishman take on the American at the White House?

Dana White gives an honest verdict on McGregor vs. Covington

That lingering uncertainty is exactly why the Covington rumor caught fire so fast when an Instagram user by the name of @menacemmahq posted a poster of the Irishman and the American star facing off in front of the White House. And as per the caption, the likelihood of it happening was “highly possible.”

After all, it suited the chaos of the moment too well: Conor McGregor, politics, the White House lawn, and a mouthy rival standing across from him. The idea seemed like something the sport would experiment with, even if it sounded a little over the top. That’s why Dana White stepping in felt less like clarification and more like a cold splash of water.

The UFC CEO refused to let it linger, as he instantly dismissed the supposed matchup in the comment section under the post. He wrote, “Total BS. The White House matchmaking meeting is tomorrow. [UFC matchmaker] Mick Maynard flying in tomorrow for it. We will have fights dialed in by this weekend.”

So, Conor McGregor vs. Colby Covington is not being considered for the White House event. While mock-ups and rumors circulated online, the UFC was still finalizing its plans, not locking in fantasy matchups. What that response emphasizes is how uncertain Conor McGregor’s future is.

The White House event is real, and the Irishman’s name keeps coming up, but nothing is guaranteed. The ‘Chaos’ angle is out, but the bigger question remains: if ‘The Notorious’ does walk out on that lawn, who will actually be standing across from him?