The much-anticipated return of Conor McGregor is being delayed more and further, and this trend is expected to continue.
After CEO Dana White indicated that McGregor would only return in the final part of 2024, those dreams were dashed. There were rumors that the Irishman could return to headline UFC 300, but those rumors were quickly dispelled.
After White made the announcement that the main event for UFC 300 would take place after the conclusion of UFC 298, Michael Chandler, who is expected to be ‘The Notorious’ opponent for his return, issued a brief comment on X.
This is what ‘Iron’ wrote:
“#UFC300 – What could have been.”
See the post that is below:
Enlarge the Tweet
The fact that McGregor and Chandler were included as coaches on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter a year ago gave many fans the hope that they would be able to witness “The Notorious” in the octagon by this point.
On December 31st, the former champion of two different weight classes took to social media to announce that he will be competing against “Iron” at International Fight Week during this year. White, on the other hand, claimed that the Irishman’s announcement was not accurate, and he stated that the date of his return has not yet been established. In the meantime, Alex Pereira will defend his title for the first time as the light-heavyweight champion against Jamahal Hill, who previously held the belt. The main event of UFC 300 will take place there.
Dana White opens up on the delay of Conor McGregor’s return
Following his leg injury sustained in a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, Conor McGregor has not participated in any octagon competitions since then.
Despite the fact that he sustained one of the most severe injuries that a fighter can sustain, Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, the other two UFC fighters who have shattered their shin bones, both made a full recovery within two and a half years after the initial injury.
There have been multiple instances on which the Irishman has declared his desire to return to competition; yet, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White, has remained relatively reticent regarding events behind the scenes with the comeback of “The Notorious.”
White made an appearance in front of the media at the conclusion of UFC 298, during which he provided some insight into the reasons for the former champion’s delayed comeback to the sport. This is what he said:
The first significant issue was that he had broken his shin bone… The other issue is that he is extremely wealthy… Conor McGregor amassed a significant amount of wealth… A lot of things are made more difficult by money. He has recently finished filming a movie. It is necessary for him to handle the press for the film, and he has responsibilities associated with it. In this year, he is interested in competing. However, we don’t know what will occur.”
He went on to say:
We have always considered Conor McGregor to be an excellent business partner… It’s safe to say that he’s the most wonderful partner we’ve ever had when it comes to getting down to business, getting your hands dirty, and making money.
