For those eagerly awaiting Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon, it appears they’ll have to wait a little longer. According to UFC President Dana White, the former two-division champion’s comeback won’t be happening anytime soon, contradicting McGregor’s own statements.
In a recent interview with Severe MMA, McGregor revealed that he was targeting a return in August or September of this year. However, White quickly shut down that idea, telling Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox that McGregor’s return is not on the docket for the summer or even the fall of 2024.
This latest development comes after McGregor withdrew from his main event slot at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler due to a broken pinky toe. The highly anticipated matchup was set to mark the Irishman’s long-awaited comeback to the Octagon.
Instead, the UFC 303 main event will feature a light heavyweight championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Their first encounter in November 2023 at Madison Square Garden saw Pereira secure a second-round knockout to claim the vacant 205-pound title.
White remained tight-lipped about McGregor’s original return date of June 29, even after the fighter and his opponent had already announced the matchup. Now, the UFC President is once again pouring cold water on any immediate plans for the former two-division champion’s return.
With Dana White’s bleak update, it appears fight fans will have to wait until the fourth quarter of 2024 at the earliest to see the return of the bigger-than-life personality that is Conor McGregor. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight titleholder has been out of action since his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021, where he suffered a major leg injury.
