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UFC at White House: Connor McGregor's big decision revealed as preparations start in Washington
Conor McGregor skipped the White House UFC card for Las Vegas due to bigger crowds, higher PPV revenue and better financial prospects, says manager.
Preparations for the UFC event at the White House on June 14 are in full swing. On Sunday, May 25, visuals emerged from the White House showing the construction of the UFC stage on the White House lawns, where the fight will be hosted.
But as the White House decks up for the big sporting event next month, one of President Trump's big allies in the UFC will be absent from the event. Conor McGregor, the Irish UFC star and an ardent follower of Trump, is on the verge of making a comeback in the UFC after a hiatus. But instead of the White House card, the 37-year-old picked the UFC 329 at the International Fight Week in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 11.
Now, details are emerging as to why McGregor chose the July event at the T-Mobile Arena instead of the White House card, which will instead feature Ilia Topuria against Justin Gaethje.
Why Conor McGregor Will Not Fight At UFC White House
Conor McGregor's decision to fight in the Las Vegas card instead of the White House perplexed many fans, given the fighter's quite public support for Trump. But Auddie Attar, McGregor's manager, has provided more insight on MMA Junkie into what influenced the Irish fighter's decision.
Also read: Conor McGregor's 5-year UFC exile ends in Las Vegas with Max Holloway rematch
Attar recently discussed in an interview that there were serious talks between McGregor and the UFC over inserting the former into the White House card. But they reportedly felt that since White House offers a small arena, the attendance will be low, and thus the lower revenue coming from it will make it financially untenable for the UFC to put McGregor- one of their biggest crowd-pullers, in the White House card.
Additionally, not only will the International Fight Week have more attendees, but it will also be viewed by more people on the traditional pay-per-view model that the UFC broadcasts follow. And thus, the decision for McGregor to skip the White House event was financial - both from the UFC and McGregor's camp.
What's Next For Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has been kept out of the UFC by a number of factors. The most obvious is the leg injury and the subsequent doping incident.
The 37-year-old badly injured his leg in the 2021 fight against Dustin Porier. Subsequently, he accepted an 18-month suspension from Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) after missing three drug tests in a 12-month window.
But Auddie Attar believes that this time, the fighter is coming back to be in the circuit for a while. Attar said that McGregor will continue fighting after the Las Vegas card on July 11. The fighter reportedly wants to make sure that it is not a one-time return, but a long haul this time.
