
Conor McGregor's arch-nemesis says he cannot fight at White House as there is ‘no cocaine'
President Donald Trump announced last Thursday that a UFC fight would take place on White House grounds next year as part of America's 250th birthday celebrations.
McGregor immediately threw his hat into the ring as he declared on social media that he would be eager to participate.
McGregor with President Trump in the White House in March
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 5th
He posted on X: "July 4th next year is a Saturday, regarding President Trump's UFC White House event.
'I will be reigning President of Ireland [in] just under 1 year when I step out on the lawns of the White House to throw down.
'Epic proportions! Or as I like to call it, Tuesday at the office. Vote McGregor."
He added: 'The only place where disputes truly get settled. The White House!"
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in Las Vegas
Hoverer, Nurmagomedov's long-time manager Ali Abdlaziz replied with a cut-down jibe, as he wrote: "I was being told the White House is going to have a heavy street drugs test policy, and we all know you cannot pass that, maybe you can go fight in a China card, no cocaine in the White House anymore."
The heated rivalry between the two began following the infamous 'bus incident' when McGregor threw a hand truck at a bus carrying several UFC fighters, including Nurmagomedov.
This led to the infamous Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) showdown between the pair in October 2018 when 'The Eagle' subjected 'the Notorious' to a fourth-round submission. Read more
McGregor claims that he would be running for president Ireland have been widely dismissed, however, in March he visited the White House where he criticised the Irish government in an attempt to raise awareness of "the issues the people of Ireland face."
"Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland, and it's high time that America is made aware of what's going on in Ireland,' he said at the time.
'What is going on in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is a government of zero action and zero accountability," he said during an appearance alongside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on March 20.
McGregor who has not fought since 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier after breaking his leg said he would only return to fighting for an event that would take place in a large stadium.
"I'll only come back to a stadium," he wrote in a post on X after WrestleMania 41, which was held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
He was slated to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but the fight was called off after he broke his toe during training.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
China curbs EU medtech procurement from today
China will impose some reciprocal curbs on medical-device procurement for companies based in the European Union, adding tensions between the two major trading partners just as Beijing seeks to shore up ties while it fights a trade war with the US. Starting from today, Sunday, EU-based companies will be excluded from the Chinese government procurement for certain medical devices if the value is higher than 45m Chinese yuan (€5.3m), according to a statement from the country's ministry of finance on Sunday. Medtech's key role in Irish economy There are approximately 450 medical device and technology companies operating in Ireland, including nine of the world's 10 largest companies in this space. According to Irish Medtech, the sector employs more than 48,000 people. Products made by EU-funded companies in China are not impacted by the curbs, its ministry of commerce said in a separate statement. China's move came after the EU announced plans to restrict Chinese medical device manufacturers from accessing public procurement contracts worth more than €5m. The measures will restrict Chinese companies from accessing around 60% of the public spending in this field, or around €150bn, according to an EU official familiar with the plans. The EU will also allow no more than 50% of inputs from China for successful bids. Chinese medtech sales into EU Chinese exports of medical devices to the EU have more than doubled between 2015 and 2023, the European Commission said in a statement. In another sign of increasing tensions between Europe and Beijing, the Chinese government intended to shorten a two-day summit with EU leaders this month to just a day, Bloomberg reported on Friday. China also announced anti-dumping duties on European brandy on Friday while exempting major cognac makers that agreed to minimum price levels. The action followed the EU's decision in 2024 to levy duties as high as 45% on Chinese-made electric vehicles. European countries have complained that the Chinese government has failed to address overcapacity in sectors including steel, unfair subsidies, and market access to its economy. Bloomberg


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump's tariff date arrives after 90-day rollercoaster
Major US trading partners scrambled over the weekend to finalise trade deals or lobby for extra time as US president Donald Trump said he's notifying about a dozen countries today of the new tariff level on their shipments to the US. 'I signed some letters and they'll go out on Monday — probably 12,' Mr Trump told reporters over the Fourth of July weekend, adding the missives involve 'different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs and somewhat different statements'. Asked to identify the countries, he said, 'I have to announce it on Monday.' Mr Trump's latest remarks suggest talks remain fluid and deals elusive before the July 9 deadline announced by the US administration. The letters were supposed to go out on July 4 with a tariff imposition date of August 1 based on Mr Trump's earlier comments. But US officials were busily negotiating through the holiday weekend, including with Japan, South Korea, the European Union, India, and Vietnam. One of Mr Trump's signature moves in dealmaking is a unilateral threat when negotiations reach critical stages, so it's unclear whether the letters he describes are real, or merely meant to strike fear into trading partners still reluctant to offer last-minute concessions. After Mr Trump announced an agreement with Vietnam last week, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said negotiators were still coordinating with their US counterparts to finalise the details. India threatens retaliatory levies While an interim accord with India was also expected to be reached, officials in New Delhi have signalled a tougher stance in recent days, threatening levies on some US goods in retaliation to Washington's higher tariffs on automobiles and their components. Also concerned about auto tariffs is South Korea, which has discussed with US officials extending the deadline in a last-ditch bid to avert higher levies. Basking in a major legislative win last week and with the US stock market at record levels, Mr Trump's newest trade barriers risk re-igniting investors' concerns about a broad and complex new web of customs duties to be paid by American importers. The initial rollout of Mr Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs on April 2 sparked fears of a US recession and sent markets tumbling. That gave way to a 90-day freeze of those rates at 10% through July 9 for the more than 50 nations targeted. On top of the additional costs that tariffs create for US companies that purchase goods from abroad, domestic exporters face the possibility of retaliation from economies, including the EU. EU member states were briefed on the status of negotiations on Friday after a round of talks in Washington last week, and were told that a technical agreement in principle was close. On Friday, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said 'progress was made towards an agreement in principle during the latest round of negotiations'. The Commission will re-engage with the US on substance over the weekend. Some EU carmakers and capitals continue to push for an agreement with Mr Trump that would allow for tariff relief in return for increasing investment in the US, according to people familiar with the matter. They added that any deal ultimately rests on Trump and expected scenarios this week include an agreement in principle that maintains the current truce without new tariffs being introduced; talks continue without a deal and country-specific levies that were suspended come into force; or the US considers the EU hasn't met its terms and announces more unilateral tariffs. The EU has indicated it's willing to accept an arrangement that includes a 10% universal tariff on many of its exports, but wants the US to commit to lower rates than that on key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors, and commercial aircraft. Meanwhile, Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said the country is prepared for all possible tariff scenarios. Speaking on a Fuji TV programme, he said Japan — another major auto producer trying to avoid Mr Trump's tariffs — is ready to 'stand firm' and defend its interests while anticipating every possible situation. Bloomberg


RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
US says it is close to agreements on several trade deals
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that the US is close to reaching agreements on several trade deals ahead of this Wednesday's deadline when higher tariffs were due to kick in. Mr Bessent predicted several big announcements in coming days. He told CNN's "State of the Union" program that the Trump administration would also send out letters to 100 smaller countries with whom the US does not have much trade, notifying them that they would face higher tariff rates first set on 2 April and then suspended until 9 July. Those tariffs will kick in on 1 August if trading partners do not strike deals with the US "President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that, if you don't move things along, then on August 1, you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level. So I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly," Mr Bessent said. Meanwhile, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has said the "best case" scenario in the EU-US trade talks is that a political framework can be delivered on Tuesday evening. The minister said that would then create a pathway for further negotiation. "Obviously, there are number of areas that the EU are looking for, zero for zero carve outs and favoured nation status," he told RTÉ's The Week In Politics. "These centre on aviation, life science, semiconductors and spirits. "But all those areas are under challenge, aviation is getting a lot of traction as far as I understand, with the US administration," he said. BRICS nations voice 'serious concerns' over Trump tariffs BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro are expected to decry Mr Trump's "indiscriminate" trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy. Emerging nations, which represent about half the world's population and 40% of global economic output, have united over "serious concerns" about US import tariffs, according to a draft summit statement obtained by AFP. Since coming to office in January, Mr Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties. His latest salvo comes in the form of letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates that will soon enter into force. The draft summit declaration does not mention the United States or its president by name, and could yet be amended by leaders gathering for talks today and tomorrow. But it is a clear political shot directed at the US from 11 emerging nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. "We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules," the draft text says. It warns that such measures "threaten to further reduce global trade" and are "affecting the prospects for global economic development." Xi no show Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But the summit's political punch will be depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. That absence has prompted fevered speculation in some quarters. "The simplest explanation may hold the most explanatory power. Xi recently hosted Lula in Beijing," said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council who is now with the Brookings Institution think tank. The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also opting to stay away, but will participate via video link, according to the Kremlin. Mr Xi's no-show is a blow to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage. In the year to November 2025, Brazil will have hosted a G20 summit, a BRICS summit, and COP30 international climate talks, all before heading into fiercely contested presidential elections next year, in which he is expected to run. Mr Lula warmly welcomed leaders and dignitaries yesterday, including China's Premier Li Qiang, as the president hosted a pre-summit business forum in Rio. "Faced with the resurgence of protectionism, it is up to emerging countries to defend the multilateral trade regime and reform the international financial architecture," Mr Lula told the event. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting and will be represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. A source familiar with the negotiations said Iran had sought a tougher condemnation of Israel and the United States over their recent bombing of Iranian military, nuclear and other sites. But one diplomatic source said the text would give the "same message" that BRICS delivered last month. Then Iran's allies expressed "grave concern" about strikes against Iran, but did not explicitly mention Israel or the United States. Artificial intelligence and health will also be on the agenda at the summit. Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.