UFC former featherweight and lightweight champion Conor Mcgregor was scheduled to make his big comeback in a battle against Michael Chandler on 29 June. However, the 35-year-old withdrew from the bout due to an injury.
The fighter has not gotten in the cage since McGregor’s injury during his fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Although the Irishman insists on his return, UFC president Dana White is unsure about this. White had this to say when asked about McGregor’s return and if we’ve seen the last of McGregor.
“That’s a great question,” White told Jim Rome. “Conor’s going to be 36 in July. He’s got plenty of money. I don’t ever think that guys like that, Jon Jones, who knows, maybe he’ll fight again, maybe he won’t. You never know with some of the guys that get to that level. You never know if you’re ever going to see them again.
“The other thing with getting older… you get injured a lot easier, you get hurt a lot easier. More injuries happen than did when you were younger, and you’re less willing to step in there with an injury than when you were young and hungry and broke.”
“It happens,” White said. “The thing with me is, once I start to get these guys that are older, you get the guys that have cemented their legacies and make their money and done their things, the Jon Jones, the Conor McGregor, these guys, I’m never very optimistic as it is. Listen, I’m in the fight business. I’ve got to put on fights every Saturday. When those types of guys show up, it’s fun, but I run the business.”
Although there’s been no new announcement on a rescheduled fight, McGregor is not allowing this injury to ruin his return, and he has been in talks with UFC to extend his contract. There have been speculations that McGregor’s withdrawal was due to these negotiations, but White has come out to debunk these rumors openly.
“Conor McGregor never leads up to a fight and tries to renegotiate a contract or get more money,” He said. “He’s never done anything even remotely close to that. He is as solid as solid can be when it comes to being a business partner. Conor McGregor is hurt right now, and it’s absolutely real. No, he’s never done anything like that.”
With McGregor out, there is no saying what will happen to his opponent Chandler, who has waited nearly two years for this meet-up. It is still unknown what Michael Chandler will do following this new development.
“I think poor Chandler wants to wait for Conor McGregor,” White said. “ Whatever he wants to do. If he wants to get a fight this summer, we’ll do whatever he wants. He’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever worked with. He’s a good human being, and I like him a lot. Whatever he wants to do, we’ll figure out for him.”
