issue 223
November 2025
Ray Klerck unpacks the rumours of the UFC’s first-ever White House card, which has become a political sideshow that might be big enough to tempt fighting’s greatest names out of retirement.
Comebacks are our sport’s most irresistible fairy tale. The idea that someone can be the best, say they’ve had enough, take a breather, then saunter back to prove they are still the top dog, even in their absence, is intoxicating. Who can forget Georges St-Pierre’s masterful return to choke out Michael Bisping after four years away? That wasn’t dumb luck, it was his incredible abilities on display. And all of this comeback greatness starts in the brain, according to Dr Kath Bicknell from Macquarie University’s Department of Cognitive Science. She suggests comeback kings don’t rely on brute-force conditioning alone. Instead, they rebuild from the neck up, where they’re able to notice micro-cues, anticipate danger, and use their neurological programming to find ways to win. This is just what Jon Jones did in his heavyweight reinvention, where his instincts looked sharper than ever despite a three–year absence. When it comes to the body, a comeback almost acts like rehabilitation, where the mental update consolidates the current hardware with the older software. The fighters who can master that split-second awareness are those who can turn the ring rust into a twice-in-a-lifetime moment. Just think of Dominick Cruz’s fairytale title reclaim after years of injury layoff. So many of these potential comebacks are begging to be the headlines when the UFC formulates its White House card. We can’t help but wonder who we will see next and what they are likely to face, but before this happens, it’s worth taking a look under the hood of how MMA fares in the comeback space.
COMEBACK PLAYBOOK
We love comebacks because we remember how they made us feel in other sports. Jordan did it twice. Bryant and Durant both had career-ending Achilles injuries and found a way back. The difference is that in team sports, you’ve got someone to hide behind when the hammie goes rogue. An individual sport like boxing offers no such mercy but does deliver some promising stats. An analysis by Geezers Boxing kept tabs on 20 high-profile boxers who returned from retirement and found that those who came back within five years still won around 70% of their comeback bouts. When they waited longer, that number dropped to roughly half. That’s unless you’re a once-in-a-lifetime talent like George Foreman, who came back old enough to babysit his opponents then punch them into adulthood. However, for most fighters, the hands will slow. The chin softens. The body might remember the beatings more than the glory. Unlike boxing, MMA doesn’t have enough geriatrics to create a similar data set. You could argue that by comparison it requires a lot more explosiveness, especially in the lower half. Anderson Silva proved as much when he rebuilt himself after suffering that horrific leg break. That’s what makes MMA’s comeback whispers so salacious. In team sports, you can recover with help from your teammates, and in boxing, the muscles might remember. However, in MMA, you’re not just fighting the man across from you; you’re fighting the memory of the man you used to be.
RETURN TO SPORT
Despite the difficulties, MMA might be ripe for comebacks. A study in the Physiology Sportsmedicine found that 94.4% of injured fighters eventually return to competition. Okay, so this might sound heroic since MMA seems so violent, but it’s relatively kind to the body, especially when it comes to career-ending injuries like head knocks and concussions. That said, the research did find that MMA injuries after the age of 35 became more challenging to recover from because it often wears down the mechanics of your limbs. Shoulders are the biggest traitors here, with win rates plummeting from 82% before shoulder injury to 55% after, and their knockout power followed the same downhill slide. And in a somewhat cruel twist, the longer a fighter stays away, the smarter their brains become. Boxers and MMA fighters who stop competing start to enjoy serious cognitive recovery, which includes improved thinking, memory skills, and brain structure, after they stop fighting, according to a paper in the American Academy of Neurology. It shows everything recovers and then they might want to have another bite at the cherry once their aches have healed, like Donald Cerrone famously did, but was instead ghosted by matchmakers. So, while the brain gleefully returns to its factory settings, muscles and tendons may not get the same memo. That’s the fighter’s curse, where logic returns just in time to ignore it. However, with the incredible advances in recovery, MMA might be the best sport to come back to if you’ve had a breather. And there’s no juicier fight card than the White House that may lure some out of retirement. It’s the Hall of Fame’s Hall of Fame, and everyone wants that on their life experience resume. So, who deserves it most? Here’s the hopefuls lining up for their comeback spot.
AMANDA NUNES – A RELUCTANT LIONESS
Nunes didn’t step away to sit by the pool. She did it because there was virtually no one of substance left to fight. She exited with two belts, a newborn, and a motherly eye on the division she built. If she’s got an itch, then the UFC’s White House card may have been big enough to scratch it. Before that can happen, she requires a reintroduction with current bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison for UFC 324 to kick off 2024. It’s a move she’s shown her commitment to by entered the UFC’s Anti-Doping program testing pool months ago. If the White House was her goal Kayla said she’d like to face Nunes first, then Valentina Shevchenko at the big event. What that will mean for the White House card is anyone’s guess. What you can bet on is Nunes’ credentials. She ruled the UFC's women's bantamweight division for 1,981 days – trailing only all-time greats Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva for the longest title reigns in company history. Those kinds of statistics can have a lasting impact on a person’s self-perception.
"You know, I have put everything I have into this sport," Nunes told Fighters Only. "I love this sport so much, and I've put everything that I have into it to chase my dream, to become who I am today. I feel like all the positive thoughts from the fans – from everybody, really – I feel like it's very important and good for me, so if they tell me that I'm the greatest, I feel happy, and I'm able to push forward and give my all to the fans, doing what they want to see every time I step in the cage: a girl that can strike, that can finish people on the floor, that can take somebody down. So yes, I feel happy when they call me the GOAT, and I know that after all the work I put in, the sweat, the blood, the heart that I show in that cage, I feel like I deserve to be able to say, 'Yeah, I'm the greatest.'"
Even if she does beat Harrison, there may be a rematch if their first bout goes to a decision.
Pros: She didn’t retire broken; she retired bored. Still healthy, still shredded, and still a force to be reckoned with.
Cons: Comfort kills. Family life hits different to five-round wars, and the drive that built her empire might be the first thing to go soft. Greatness is easy to miss until it starts costing you again.
Comeback Odds: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
If the comeback space is the jungle, the Lioness won’t stay in the shade for long.
JON JONES – ONE IN A BILLION
Jones might be a one-in-a-billion fighter, but Dana famously gave those same odds to the fans who wanted to behold his greatness one last time. So, there is still a chance? Who knows, but perhaps there are challenges with the back-end logistics and risks associated with Jones pulling out at the last minute. He remains the most natural fit for the White House card, but perhaps it’s worth walking down the memory land of his past indiscretions. Failed drug tests. DUI charges, hit-and-runs, public spats, and fights cancelled due to injuries. The UFC needs spotless optics for this card, and Jones offers anything but. There’s no doubting that he’s the GOAT, but he’s also a potential PR hand grenade that could give political opposition a critical platform. For his comeback Jones does have an opponent in mind: Alex Pereira.
According to post by him at the end of October, on X.com, Jones would be all in, “Alex, I’d be down to bring the highest skill level to the White House. I appreciate the respect you showed, let’s dance.”
There’s no doubt this would be the galactic-level fight that your unborn grandchildren want to watch, but you might be more likely to see Dana White swap shirts with Joe Biden on weigh-in day.
Pros: Still the sharpest mind and most naturally gifted athlete in MMA history. Nobody adapts faster, hits smarter, or wins uglier.
Cons: The legal work behind his contract would require oil money. The UFC may want diplomacy, not damage control.
Comeback Odds: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
He’s a genius who keeps forgetting he’s also the hazard warning, so we’d need to consolidate some middle ground.
CONOR MCGREGOR – THE SHOWMAN
If the comebacks needed a salesman, he’s the guy. After a snapped leg against Poirier, the McGregor era finally fizzled but being forever light on his feet, he rebranded with alcohol, politics, and fight promotions. Sadly, this meant he lost support from his Irish fan base thanks to various misadventures which saw another rebrand as a villain. McGregor claims his place on the card is a done deal, but Dana denied that assertion, saying that the matchmaking won’t start until February. The Irishman remains in the UFC’s drug testing pool and has already outlined a list of outlandish demands. Fortunately, he has a way of getting his way out of self-belief that runs in his genes, as he once told Fighters Only.
“Royal is my race,” said Conor when we asked what the McGregor family motto‘s rioghal mo dhream’ stands for. “Yeah, roughly translated, it means ‘royal is my race.’ That’s where I’m coming from. That’s how I know I’m destined to be the champion.” Suddenly, his eyes light up and his voice becomes adrenalized as he says: “That’s what I’m f**king talking about. That s**t gets me going. That tells me I am on the right path. That’s how I know what I am doing is exactly what I should be doing. I know what I was put here to do. If you Google the name McGregor, and you look at the back story, then the McGregors fought in the war-torn fields of the Scottish highlands back in the day, fighting off the English and all that s**t. So fighting is in my blood. I like to think that I am doing what my family were doing generations ago, only I’m doing it in the modern era. On the modern gladiatorial stage.”
If this is a chance to be a gladiator one last time in front of kings and peasants, you can bet he’ll do everything he can to put on a show one last time, especially since he’d committed to a 6-month social media blackout, which he's already broken, as you'd expect.
Pros: Still the biggest name in the sport. Can sell fight to a monk.
Cons: Reputation needs rehab. The McGregor brand feels more whiskey than warrior these days.
Comeback Odds: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
If the White House wants fireworks, he’s bringing the entire box — lit.
RONDA ROUSEY – THE PIONEER
The murmurs started with a video. Girl was just hitting pads, and the internet lost its mind. She never talked about a comeback. She is allowed to do a little exercise, especially after childbirth. Soon the wild speculation stocks went on sale, and she was making headlines on every podcast, despite not fighting since 2016, when back-to-back KOs turned her legacy into a cautionary tale. In 2018, she even told Ellen DeGenerous she’d be more likely to return to the Olympics than MMA; then the final nail in the coffin came in September 2025.
“I ain’t fighting on the f*cking White House,” she said recently on the Lapsed Fan Podcast. “I got better sh*t to do. My kid needs pasta.”
Nails. Coffin. All of that. If the White House card is there to celebrate legends, and hopefully a few American ones at that, she might fit the bill, but it is improbable despite the fact that there are now rumours swirling around about her being talks to take on Katie Taylor in a boxing match. So, even though she opened the door for everyone else, she might not be the one kick it down again.
Pros: The nostalgia alone would melt the internet’s servers. She’s the reason women headline today.
Cons: Eight years is a very long time away. The chin’s gone, the reflexes are slower, and the mystique may vanish the moment she gets touched.
Comeback Odds: ★☆☆☆☆ (2/5)
She might not be back to fight, but her showing up in the crowd would be enough of a comeback to make history.
DUSTIN POIRIER – THE GENTLEMAN
It seems he might want to come out and play. He’s still in the space, drifting around like a man who has finished his homework but still hangs out class. The bout with Islam Makhachev said everything about his character, and he remains a massive draw card as who the fans love. With his final bout ending in a loss, there’s the sense that he deserves one last high note and has even dropped hints on social media with quotes like these.
“Every day, the moment my eyes open, I've done it for two decades, dedicated my life to it.... A part of me has died.”
There’s no doubt that physically, he’s still got it and may have the wisdom to pick the right final chapters. If the match-up is right, you can bet he’ll be considering it.
Pros: One of the most technically polished boxers in MMA with plenty of gas in the tank. American, which is in short supply.
Cons: He has absorbed some damage over the years, which he might be feeling. Might be too classy to come back out of retirement.
Comeback Odds: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Still dangerous, still dapper, but maybe too content to risk breaking what’s already been beautifully fixed.
JORGE MASVIDAL – THE STREET KING
Does the comeback card need a little street cred? Well, he might be the man to bring it in the right way. He’s flirted with politics in the past, so the optics are a snug fit if he every goes to the White Hose. Further to this, he endorsed Trump pre-election and claims it cost him, so he might want to recoup on that investment. With all his training videos and media profile, he remains one of the UFC’s great stories that symbolise the American dream. From street fighter to pay-per-view king who weaponised his charisma, this truly fits his brand.
Pros: Still a very marketable name. Brings the swagger, the sales, and a right hand that can amplify any card.
Cons: Four straight losses, a growing business portfolio, and a political hobby make fighting again more of a vanity project than a vocation.
Comeback Odds: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Still game, still smooth, but probably prefers running the show now instead of bleeding for it.
BROCK LESNAR – THE GENETIC OUTLIER
He remains the embodiment of a mystery about how someone so big can be that athletic. It’s not just his physicality that shines, but his willpower too, which is something he told Fighters Only about before he was champion.
“This is who I am. I am about challenging myself. I think I’ve been able to make the transition very well, and I think now it’s a matter of getting more comfortable with it.”
Since he loves a challenge, MMA could be the biggest one yet. After a two-year hiatus, Lesnar made a shock return to WWE SummerSlam 2025 as part of John Cena’s farewell tour. And he looked incredible. WWE and UFC now share the same parent company, TKO Group, which means Lesnar’s career is being managed like a limited-edition supercar. Everyone wants a photo with it, but no one’s allowed close enough to scratch the paint. Still, if the UFC’s White House card needs a spectacle, there’s no bigger name in American sports that could walk through those gates and instantly get everyone to their feet. The opponent he never got to fight? DC. Now there’s a match up.
Pros: The definition of box office. Still freakishly powerful, still terrifying, still the ultimate “what if” in heavyweight history.
Cons: Nearing 50, contracted to another empire, and managed like museum property. One wrong clause and you’re negotiating with TKO’s board, not Brock.
Comeback Odds: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
He might be too expensive to fight, too famous to fade, but everyone wants a piece of him.
NATE DIAZ – A RELUCTANT REVOLUTIONARY
If a fight card wants some street-level authenticity, Diaz will deliver without smiling. He’s somehow relevant, even when he’s not trying, and after cashing general cheques in his boxing bout with Jake Paul, he’s made it clear that he’s done playing by anyone else’s rules. If the UFC wants to parade a symbol of rebellion at what’s likely to be a politically sterilised event like the White House fight, Diaz is the thoroughbred American paradox everyone loves. He’s anti-establishment, anti-media, and anti-authority, so he might be the perfect homegrown villain the crowd identifies with. While he doesn’t care about titles, you can bet he’d like to be the one to light up the Rose Garden, metaphorically or otherwise.
Pros: Cult icon with unmatched star power. Always in shape, always game, and could talk a press secretary into a fistfight.
Cons: Contract chaos, unpredictable scheduling, and a PR liability.
Comeback Odds: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Too stubborn to retire, too real to fake it. If a fight card needs a revolution, Nate’s already leading it.
KHABIB – THE UNTOUCHABLE LEGACY
If a fight ever needed some legitimacy or even a diplomatic opportunity, Khabib would be the gold standard. Would a politicized supporter of his, such as Putin, attend an event? We’d love to think that’s a remote possibility. He promised his mother he’d stop so he'll stick to that because but unlike so many, Khabib’s word really means something, and he has taken up the mantel of MMA’s philosopher.
“It’s very hard when you have power, when you’re the best in the world, when you’re famous, have money and say to everything like this, ‘No,'” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s very hard. People maybe will never understand me, but I really hope they’re going to support my decision because everyone has their views. My view and my relationship with my mother, I feel like I have to stop because I feel like in every fight, every training camp, this takes some age away from my mother. And it’s like what do I have to do? I came to this sport to show who I am and became the best, I’m world champion, and pound-for-pound No. 1. I defended my title three times. I defended my title in biggest fight of UFC history. What else? Only money-fights, but I don’t need money.”
A rumour of him returning is so rare that you’d never believe it, but if there’s one event that could tempt him back, it would have to be the world's biggest stage. Still, for a man who doesn’t chase money or fame, this might be MMA’s biggest drawcard of all time. But who could even match him? That’s the question that has no answer.
Pros: Still in freakish shape, undefeated aura intact, and universally respected. His return would eclipse every other comeback combined.
Cons: When a man retires for faith and family, not fame, it’s scripture. You can’t negotiate with conviction.
Comeback Odds: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
If he steps into the cage again, it would be a miracle.
THE LEGENDS CARD
Can you imagine Randy Couture vs Fedor Emelianenko? Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva. These are the dream matchups we never quite got, but feel we deserve. Captain America vs The Last Emperor. The Iceman vs The Axe Murderer. It’s nostalgia that would come with a VHS rewind button. These are the fights that built the foundations of modern MMA, and for many, seeing them again would be incredible. Sadly, with legends like Tyson being offered $700 million for a Jake Paul rematch, it was the first bout that made fans crave a palate cleanser because there’s a fine line between legacy and exhibition that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The risk is that stacking too many legends on one card turns the spectacle into sentimentality, and suddenly the main event starts feeling like the encore nobody asked for. The legends would deserve their own card, and perhaps the undercard, but maybe that may be disrespectful in its own right. The truth is, none of this is settled. The White House card won’t be locked in until February 2026, and in fight years, that’s an eternity. Knees heal. Egos swell. Retirements crumble after a Christmas break. Suddenly, the impossible feels inevitable again. Between now and then, every fighter mentioned will tease, train, or tweet something that fuels the fire and pushes them back into relevance. By the time the matchups are official, half the fighters we’re betting against might have already filmed their comeback montages. But that’s the allure of a comeback. It’s not about what’s confirmed, it’s about what could be. In a sport that thrives on unpredictability, the only sure thing is that someone, somewhere, is already lacing up for one last miracle for your enjoyment.
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