Conor McGregor is set to return to the UFC in the summer of 2024, following a hiatus to promote his role in the new Road House remake.
Well, well, well. Looks like Conor McGregor and the UFC are finally finding some common ground. After months of back-and-forths, the Irish MMA superstar has confirmed his return to the ring.
He spilled the beans to MMA Fighting on Wednesday. Apparently, UFC has given him the green light for a summer 2024 comeback. This news comes after McGregor’s repeated hints about wanting to fight sooner. He claimed he hadn’t heard much from the UFC about his return.
UFC’s big boss, Dana White, has a different take, though. In a recent interview, he denied any lack of communication with McGregor. According to White, they were just giving McGregor some space.
Why? Well, McGregor’s been busy promoting his role in the new Road House remake. He’s been jet-setting around the world for the past few weeks.
“There’s no lack of communication. Not at all,” White said in the Pound-4-Pound podcast. He explained that McGregor’s been tied up with movie promotions. “He has obligations right now to promote this movie. He’s been flying all over the world, going to all the premieres of the launch of this movie. He committed to this movie. He has obligations to this movie. He can’t do both.”
Once the movie launches, White expects McGregor to return to the gym. “Like full-time, getting ready for a camp,” he added.
White also praised McGregor’s business acumen. He’s not just a new film star, but also a smart player in his fight career.
Because of his movie commitments, McGregor wasn’t a feasible option for the upcoming UFC 300 card on April 13. But with the film out in the world, White believes McGregor will soon be back in the gym. They’ll then discuss the next steps for booking a fight.
“Conor McGregor, for a guy who was on the dole or whatever his situation was when he came into the UFC, for a guy that had never done big business, he’s a pretty good f****** businessman,” White said. “He’s been a great partner to us. I like to be a good partner back.”
White expects McGregor to face off against Michael Chandler in his return, although nothing’s set in stone yet.
While he’s hopeful about McGregor’s UFC comeback, White also believes that McGregor’s wealth has played a part in his delayed return.
“Once you start to make a lot of money, you’re not as hungry as you were before and it is harder to get in the gym, and it does suck to f****** grind as hard as you used to grind,” White said. “It is harder to stay on top once you make that kind of money.”
“Then you think about the money that Conor’s made — this dude’s living on f****** legit yachts for months and s*** like that.”