While Dana White guarantees that Conor
McGregor will return next year, he also claims to have a
blockbuster matchup in the works that does not involve the Irish
superstar.
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McGregor (22-6) hasn’t fought since suffering a broken leg in a
trilogy clash against Dustin
Poirier in July 2021. While “Notorious” has since featured as
Michael
Chandler’s (23-8) rival coach on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season
31, their clash which was expected to follow hangs in the balance.
Following his re-entry into the United States Anti-Doping Agency
drug testing pool, McGregor was targeting a return in April 2024.
However, according to his coach, John
Kavanagh, McGregor is unlikely to make a return before the
summer.
Nevertheless, UFC CEO White recently assured fans of McGregor’s
2024 return without finalizing the name of an opponent in an
appearance on the Full Send Podcast. White also took the
opportunity to point out Chandler’s ability to sit out without
competing for a year as he waits for McGregor.
“Yes, 100 percent,” White said. “[McGregor] fights next year…We’ll
see the timing of when that goes down. The good thing for guys like
Chandler, and you know there’s a lot of sh*t talk about fighter pay
and all that other sh*t – you don’t see these guys hurrying up to
fight… Chandler can hang out and wait for f*cking Conor.”
Despite having gone 1-3 in his last four, McGregor continues to be
a highly sought-after opponent for most lightweight elites as a
matchup with the Dubliner guarantees a lucrative payday. White also
shared news of a potential superfight which doesn’t include
arguably the greatest star in the sport.
“We’re talking about one right now, actually, that just popped up a
few days ago. I can’t talk about it until we get everybody… well,
every fight that you would consider a ‘super fight’ would involve
McGregor but this one isn’t, no.”