The ongoing saga of Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon knows no end.
First, the Irishman was supposed to return at the end of 2023 for UFC 296 in Madison Square Garden. When that didn’t happen, rumors ran rampant that he would headline the promotion’s next big landmark event on April 13. And while that still hasn’t been entirely ruled out, it’s looking less and less likely as we sit roughly eight weeks away from UFC 300.
On New Year’s Day, ‘Mystic Mac’ appeared to finally let the cat out of the bag, claiming he would return on June 29th during the promotion’s International Fight Week festivities in Las Vegas. However, UFC CEO Dana White has now ruled that out, recently stating McGregor’s quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sport’s history” would likely happen in the fall of 2024.
“Eventually,” White told The Pat McAfee Show when asked about McGregor vs. Chandler. “Hopefully this year. There is no date. I’m hoping for the fall. [Hopefully] we get it done in the fall.”
In town for Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, Conor McGregor doubled down on his January 1 statement, claiming that he will return to the Octagon this summer despite White’s insistence that it ain’t happening.
“Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest sporting days for my friends in the States, second only to the Mac’s return to the octagon this summer! Good luck to the 49ers and the Chiefs, leave something in Vegas for me,” McGregor wrote on X.
Brendan Schaub Offers Interesting Take on the drama surrounding Conor McGregor’s return
It has become increasingly clear that Conor McGregor and the UFC are not on the same page. The reasons why and who is at fault is anyone’s guess, but perhaps Brendan Schaub’s recent assessment of the situation hit the nail on the head.