Conor McGregor is now training for a return to the octagon, and it appears that he is heading towards finally fighting next year.
That’s according to UFC CEO Dana White, who is currently in the Irishman’s hometown of Dublin where he is promoting a boxing event. He won’t be joined by McGregor at the show, telling media that the former two-weight world champion is back in training while on his travels in New York.
But the pair have been in contact, and White believes that he will be able to determine an opponent once they have decided on an official date. McGregor was due to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but was forced out with a broken toe.
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Dana White offers positive update on Conor McGregor comeback
While speaking with media and fans in a Q&A at the weigh-ins for boxing prospect Callum Walsh’s Irish homecoming, Dana White was positive in his words about a McGregor comeback. Asked about when exactly he will return, the UFC boss replied that “The answer to your question is, soon”.
He refused to be drawn on who the opponent will be, and couldn’t guarantee that the winner of Chandler’s UFC 309 showdown with Charles Oliveira would be next up. Both men have angled for a McGregor fight for years, but are also top contenders at lightweight.
“It’s going to determine when Conor comes back who the opponent is,” he explained. “Whenever Conor is ready and he comes back. He hit me up last night when he heard that I was here and he’s in New York right now and he is training.”
He also reminisced on the last time he was in the building; Dublin’s 3Arena, when the Irishman defeated Diego Brandao in 2014. The fight launched McGregor into superstardom, and saw him cut his famous ‘not here to take part, here to take over’ promo.
“This arena right here, that fight, was one of the greatest events I’ve ever been to,” White explained. “When he won, everybody threw their beer up in the air and it was going crazy, it was raining beer in the arena.
“It was so bad a**, it was an incredible night, an incredible event. And that was the beginning of the rise of Conor.”
Conor McGregor returns to sparring in new footage
Conor McGregor has been out of action since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight over three years ago. He has been pushing for a return to the octagon for years since, but injuries and other issues have cost him this valuable time.
However, he now appears to have returned to fitness and is training in New York City where he is currently working. The Irishman has launched a number of side businesses, most notably a beer company named Forged Irish Stout and a whiskey brand called Proper Twelve.
His focus is still on fighting, though, and new footage he has released from the gym has shown him preparing in the boxing ring with one of America’s top prospects. He shared a video showing himself landing a big combination on Sean O’Bradaigh, with a caption praising Dana White for coming to Dublin.
“I got some good rounds in with a young American Irish lad recently,” he wrote in a lengthy post promoting the Callum Walsh fight. “No.8 ranked in the USA at Light Heavyweight , @seanobrdbxg, he caught me some nice shots and I caught him this tasty back hand hook as well! Enjoy!”
Michael Chandler still believes he will face Conor McGregor despite announcing new fight
Despite the fight that they had planned for two years seemingly falling through, Michael Chandler has not fully given up on the idea of facing McGregor next year. He will now rematch Oliveira as the co-main event of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic’s New York City heavyweight title showdown in November.
And the winner of that fight will have a serious claim to a shot at Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title. But Chandler could also return to the McGregor well if he lands the result, which would be his first win since May of 2022 when he stopped Tony Ferguson.
“I’ve always given my opponents a ton of respect,” he explained in a video on his YouTube channel detailing his new fight plans. “There’s a difference between booking a fight with Conor McGregor, and everyone else in the entire sport.
“There’s different dates, locations, that you put Conor McGregor on. It’s different, and there’s a lot of layers. I love the fight against Conor, and I will fight Conor in 2025. But right now we’re going to go and fight and beat Charles.”
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