UFC CEO Dana White has poured cold water on the latest wave of speculation surrounding a potential Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal showdown at the UFC’s highly anticipated White House event.
With months still to go before the historic card, rumors began circulating that McGregor and Masvidal could headline the event. The chatter picked up steam after Masvidal hinted at a major announcement in recent interviews and refused to rule out a fight with the former two-division UFC champion.
The idea sent fight fans into a frenzy. McGregor has not competed since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, while Masvidal retired following his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. Still, the pairing felt just chaotic enough to capture attention, until Dana White addressed it directly.
Speaking with TMZ Sports, Dana White dismissed the rumors in blunt fashion.
“In my algorithm on Instagram, I don’t have anything MMA related,” White said. “I don’t listen to any of the goofy s— that goes on. That’s [McGregor vs. Masvidal] goofy s—.”
White doubled down on his stance, making it clear that internet speculation rarely reflects actual UFC plans.
“I don’t listen to any of the goofy shit. It’s goofy shit,” White said. “The MMA world, I don’t listen to any of that shit. So literally none of that is on my algorithm. Almost everything you see on the internet about our sport is wrong. It’s all wrong.”
McGregor and Masvidal have circled each other before. Their names first became linked after UFC 244, when Masvidal captured the inaugural BMF title against Nate Diaz. McGregor returned shortly after at UFC 246, stopping Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds at welterweight, but the matchup never materialized.
While Dana White has teased McGregor’s return on the White House card, most signs previously pointed toward a long-delayed fight with Michael Chandler. That bout was scheduled for 2024 before McGregor withdrew due to a broken toe suffered in training.
White made it clear that, as of now, Masvidal is not part of the equation.
“You know what’s funny? In my algorithm on Instagram, I have nothing MMA,” White added. “Literally nothing MMA pops up.”
Despite dismissing the Masvidal rumors, White has acknowledged McGregor’s desire to fight on the White House card, which is currently scheduled for June 14. McGregor has fueled that speculation himself by posting training footage and teasing a return throughout the past several weeks.
Still, Dana White appears focused on finalising real matchups rather than entertaining online buzz. He expects to begin locking in fights after UFC 324 concludes and plans to have the card largely finalised in the coming weeks.
For now, a Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal clash remains nothing more than internet noise, and according to Dana White, that’s exactly where it belongs.
