UFC CEO Dana White has announced that Irish fighter Conor McGregor will not fight this year.
The news came shortly after the former two-time division champion was supposed to make a comeback but then suffered a toe injury. The Irishman has been out of the octagon since he fractured his leg at UFC 294. Many believed the fighter would make a huge comeback with his fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but after his withdrawal, many have become skeptical.
Although the fight has been rebooked, and the fighters are eager to get in the cage, White believes McGregor may not be quite ready.
“We talked, we talked,” Dana White said. “We didn’t meet up but we talked, and yeah, he wants to fight. So we’ll figure it out. [But] not this year. He won’t fight this year.”
The comment took the MMA world by surprise, but McGregor does not plan on giving up easily. Shortly after the comment, he took to social media and pushed for a December return date.
“Ah Dana, December is the date! Bring the calendar year home with a winning event! Come on now, what’s this? I am off to altitude next month to prepare,” McGregor wrote on X. “DECEMBER! Tell Dana and UFC WE WANT DECEMBER! WE DESERVE DECEMBER!”
The decision puts Michael Chandler in a tough spot as the former Bellator lightweight champion has not competed since 2022.
