Conor Mcgregor Praises UFC Freedom 250 Despite White House Absence

Conor McGregor praised UFC Freedom 250 and the United States on X even though his name was absent from the White House fight card in Washington, D.C. The post landed as the event marked part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the UFC later said he will return to headline UFC 329 during International Fight Week.

McGregor Posts From Afar

McGregor wrote, "Good luck to the @ufc team tonight for their “Freedom 250” event at the White House! What a company! God bless America ???" The message backed the card from a distance rather than from inside it, with his name missing from the lineup that ended up centered on a lightweight title unifier between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

Fans reacted quickly on X. One said McGregor and Jon Jones should have been on the card. Another wrote, "Wish you were here...this weekend in DC has been insane." A third pushed the comeback talk forward, posting, "Easy win against Max Holloway next month."

White House Card Without McGregor

The absence stood out because McGregor had previously hinted that his comeback could happen on this card. He was booked to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024, but that fight fell apart after McGregor suffered a toe injury. He has not fought since 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier via TKO in their trilogy bout after sustaining a leg break in the same fight.

Chandler later lost to Charles Oliveira and Paddy Pimblett, then was scheduled to meet Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250. That left McGregor watching the White House event as an observer while his own next step shifted elsewhere.

UFC 329 Looms For McGregor

The UFC said McGregor will return to headline UFC 329 during International Fight Week, and that booking now becomes the immediate marker for his comeback route. For him, the White House card became a public nod to the company and the country, but not the stage for a return.