Surprising name suggested for Conor McGregor’s UFC White House opponent

If Conor McGregor gets his UFC White House wish, could he be sharing the Octagon with an unexpected foe?

McGregor has made it clear that he wants in on the UFC’s planned card at the White House in 2026. The “Notorious” one hasn’t competed since 2021, but UFC CEO Dana White insists the Irishman is taking comeback plans seriously. White has said that McGregor is in the drug testing pool and has been training as if he intends to go through with a return to the Octagon.

So, who could McGregor be facing?

In a new video posted on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen didn’t rule out the possibility of ex-UFC fighter Tony Ferguson finally getting a bout with McGregor (h/t MMAJunkie).

“Not only is it not going to be a title fight, it’s not going to be a No. 1 contender fight,” Sonnen said. “It’s not going to be a fight that affects the rankings at all, and everybody is eligible. Conor used to be a world champion, so Conor can fight anybody, but Conor is not ranked. Conor is not even licensed.

“So if we bring him back, we could put him with somebody that isn’t ranked, an older name, a name that you know. We can bring somebody in. Tony Ferguson would not be off the table. This doesn’t affect anything in the future. This is a one-night-only event.”

Ferguson recently earned his first combat sports victory since 2019. He scored a third-round TKO finish over Salt Papi in a boxing match under the Misfits banner. In the process, “El Cucuy” captured the interim MFB middleweight title.

Whether or not the UFC brass would bring Ferguson back for a bout against McGregor remains to be seen. Ferguson was on an eight-fight losing skid at the end of his UFC run. Perhaps if McGregor wants the fight badly enough, he could potentially sway UFC management into booking the matchup.