“That’s not true, I said. It was never Islam versus Topuria. Don’t worry about what fights are being made. We announced which ones are made and which ones will be happening.”

– via the Zuffa Boxing post fight press conference, firmly dismissing rumors of a super fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria for the Freedom 250 White House card.

“Imagine the pop in that arena and around the world if they announced @TheNotoriousMMA on the White House card. Fumble of the century.”

– via X, joining the chorus of critics calling the UFC's omission of Conor McGregor from the historic Freedom 250 lineup a massive missed opportunity.

“Moving up and taking on a guy like Ciryl Gane, the way these two guys strike, it's going to be very, very interesting. Should [Pereira] win the fight, then we figure out what's going on with Tom Aspinall, and it could be [Pereira] vs. Aspinall.”

– via Joe Rogan Experience, outlining the path for the newly announced Heavyweight interim title fight at the White House event.

“Moving up and taking on a guy like Ciryl Gane, the way these two guys strike, it's going to be very, very interesting. Should [Pereira] win the fight, then we figure out what's going on with Tom Aspinall, and it could be [Pereira] vs. Aspinall.”

– via Joe Rogan Experience, outlining the path for the newly announced Heavyweight interim title fight at the White House event.

“I’ll tell you this. They did try to seriously have Jon Jones on this card, but they couldn’t get to the number”

– via Ariel Helwani show, reporting on why the much hyped Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira matchup failed to materialize for the historic June 14 White House card.

“No, it’s not. Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House”

– via UFC 326 post fight press conference, shut down rumors of a Jon Jones appearance at the upcoming June 14 event

“Nothing came to me from the UFC. However, they did offer my name to McGregor... He chickened out and ran away”

– via Laerte Viana, addressing the rumors that he was the "unrecognized name" Conor McGregor supposedly agreed to fight for the June 14 White House card.

“Thanks lil bro”

– via X, responding to Alexander Volkanovski’s comments that "The Notorious" must headline the UFC White House card

“No, no, Nate Diaz is my boy, I said bring him back. That’s like a cousin to me... if I was looking to call somebody out, I would say, Michael Chandler, at the White House, two great Americans… let’s do some s* like that.”

– via UFConParamount and MMA Mania, explaining his lifelong bond with Nate Diaz while officially shifting his sights to Michael Chandler for the June 14 South Lawn event.

“No, no, Nate Diaz is my boy, I said bring him back. That’s like a cousin to me... if I was looking to call somebody out, I would say, Michael Chandler, at the White House, two great Americans… let’s do some s* like that.”

– via UFConParamount and MMA Mania, explaining his lifelong bond with Nate Diaz while officially shifting his sights to Michael Chandler for the June 14 South Lawn event.

“What interests me is that he's got a little character. He's got a little charisma. He's got a little bowl cut and an English accent. So people give him a little hype... It makes a lot of sense, a foreigner vs. an American on American soil on the White House grounds.”

– via MMA Fighting and Valuetainment, lobbying for a fight against Paddy Pimblett for the UFC's historic event on the South Lawn.

“And my eyes on gold. Sign it, champion @islam_makhachev.”

– via Instagram, officially calling for a Welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev at the upcoming White House card

“There definitely won't be a fight with Topuria at the White House, he already has an opponent.”

– via Match TV, shutting down the rumors of a champion vs. champion superfight on the June 14 South Lawn card

“I'd like to see them two fight, that'd be a good one”

– via UFC on TNT Sports, weighing in on the growing hype for a clash between the middleweight and welterweight kings.

“I'd like to see them two fight, that'd be a good one”

– via UFC on TNT Sports, weighing in on the growing hype for a clash between the middleweight and welterweight kings.

“In a perfect world, we go out there, get my hands raised very fashionably, do it in an undeniable way, make a moment, go get Ilia, have the BMF and undisputed title on the line”

– via UFC on TNT Sports (January 16, 2026), outlining his ambitious blueprint for the remainder of 2026.

“Hopefully it’s in the summer or at the end of this year, I’ll fight for the belt, for the title. I can’t wait, and that’s why I’m doing wrestling and grappling things... If [Ilia] is not going to fight in the summer, then I’m next for the belt.”

– via Helen Yee (January 9, 2026), discussing his roadmap for the year while navigating the fallout of his interim title snub.

“The odds are higher than they ever have been... Conversations are being had, things are moving in that direction. I'm gonna start training here very soon, laser focused on June”

– via ESPN MMA expressing massive confidence that the long—awaited showdown with Conor McGregor is finally landing in the summer.

“I’ve fighting in enemy territory, I need to finish this fight. Submission or knockout…this is my goal, my goal is to finish him.”

– via Fox Sports gives warning to Champion Volkanovski

“I want him to. I think he has got the juice in him. He would love the White House. He wants to be main event at the White House and he wants me to be a couple of slots behind him and kind of have us both win and that’s his last leg”

– via JRE MMA Show #172 (January 1, 2026), detailing the "perfect world" retirement plan shared between him and his training partner, Jon Jones.