‘That's where I'm headed next' – Conor McGregor appears to confirm UFC return in shock card at the White House
The volatile Irishman has not been in the octagon since July 2021 - when he brutally broke his leg against Dustin Poirier.
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A toe injury in last June also forced McGregor out of his proposed comeback bout against Michael Chandler in Las Vegas.
Further controversies outside of the cage have also kept the former UFC champion out of action with his fighting future in doubt.
But after US President Donald Trump announced plans to host a UFC event on White House grounds - McGregor threw his name in the hat.
And adding further fuel to the fire, he said at a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event: 'It's looking like I'm headed to the Oval Office again.
"So that's where I'm headed next. But I'll let these men fight for this one and I'll support them and back them all the way."
McGregor, his fiancee Dee Devlin and their four children visited Trump and the White House in March on St Patrick's Day.
There, he announced his own plans to run for Irish presidency.
But the visit came just four months after McGregor was found liable for assault in a civil case against him dating back to 2018.
The court heard how the professional fighter was said to have "brutally raped and battered" Nikita Hand in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel.
McGregor - who was ordered to pay Ms Hand about £206,000 in damages and pay her legal costs - has since sought an appeal.
'He's got the best tattoos I've ever seen' - Donald Trump reveals he is a fan of UFC icon Conor McGregor
He was initially expected to include new evidence - but the Court of Appeal in Dublin heard that McGregor would no longer be relying on additional evidence.
McGregor also punched a man in an Ibiza nightclub in June - with The Sun capturing the shocking moment.
But the man - who works for Wayne Lineker - did not press charges.
McGregor still has two fights left on his contract but even UFC boss Dana White cast doubt over a return.
That was until Trump's teased an event at the White House.
White later told YouTube group Nelk Boys: 'McGregor has gotten himself to a point where he is and will be, whether he stops fighting or not, one of the biggest superstars in sports, period.
'He's gotten to a level of success in his life where he has to, I think, be motivated by something.
'He's accomplished everything and especially financially. Now he's got to find something that truly motivates him to want to come back and do this again. I don't know if the White House is it, but we'll see.'
Trump told a crowd in Iowa: "Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We're going to have a UFC fight.
"We're going to have a UFC fight - think of this - on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there."
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