Conor McGregor: Merab Dvalishvili eager to share UFC White House stage with Conor McGregor, Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria

Like most MMA elites, Merab Dvalishvili, too, is hoping to fight on the UFC White House card set for June 2026. Interestingly, the reigning bantamweight champion doesn't seem to have any qualms about his potential placement on the card.

Top stars, including Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Ilia Topuria, have been campaigning for a spot on the card ever since U.S. President Donald Trump announced it as a part of the America250 celebrations.

'The Machine' seems to recognize that with so many promotional superstars expected on the card, he'd likely be pushed down the line-up, something he doesn't seem to mind.

During a recent media scrum, the 34-year-old called for a spot on the historic event, saying:

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"To fight at the White House would be an honor for me. Even if I'm the first fight on the prelims, I will be happy. I have no problem with that because I know Ilia wants to fight there, McGregor wants to fight there, Jon Jones wants to fight there."

The Georgian also highlighted:

"I'm sure it'll be a good card, special, and I'd love to [fight there]. So far, I'm the only American champion in the men's division. So why not?"

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (3:25):

Dvalishvili is currently the only American citizen to hold a championship title in the UFC men's divisions. While 'The Machine' was born in Georgia, he received U.S. citizenship by naturalization in 2024, after living in the country for over 12 years. He'll next be seen against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 on Oct. 4.

Merab Dvalishvili game to fight another UFC champion at the White House

Merab Dvalishvili is not opposed to taking on a long-reigning UFC champion on the White House card. During an interview with Zach Gelb, when the topic of a potential super fight against flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja came up, Dvalishvili was all in.

While 'The Machine' would prefer the Brazilian move up in weight, he hasn't completely ruled out cutting down to 125 pounds himself. When Gelb asked if he would want to face 'The Cannibal' at UFC White House, Dvalishvili replied:

"Let's go, man. Let's go."

About the author

Ujwal Jain is a sports journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda and holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication and journalism. He has been practicing martial arts from an early age and won several accolades at national-level competitions in karate and Taekwondo. He also holds a back belt in karate. Ujwal loves fact-checking, helping out with related research, and being a fresh set of eyes for fellow writers’ articles.

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