Chael Sonnen explains why Jon Jones and Conor McGregor shouldn't be on the UFC White House event

Story by (YouTube)Jeff CainWed, February 18, 2026 at 8:35 AM UTC·3 min readWho'll fight on the UFC event at the White House in June has been debated and predicted since President Donald Trump made the announcement that the White House South Lawn would host a UFC event for the American 250 celebration. Several high-profile fighters lobbied to be part of the historic fight card, including household names Jon Jones and Conor McGregor. While they're both legends and McGregor's the biggest draw in the promotion's history, former title challenger and industry inside Chael Sonnen doesn't think it makes sense to feature either of them at the White House event. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Let me tell you why Jon Jones and Conor McGregor don't make any sense to be on the White House card. I can do it pretty quickly because there's just three reasons.