DANA WHITE admits Conor McGregor doesn’t ever need to fight again amid uncertainty over the UFC superstar’s return.
The Irishman has been lined up to fight fellow fan favourite Michael Chandler in his comeback fight for the best part of a year but the bout has yet to come to fruition.
McGregor, 35, is champing at the bit to get back into the octagon and recently revealed that he’s eyeing a spot on the historic UFC 300 card in April.
But UFC President and Chief Executive Officer White admits there are no guarantees The Notorious ever straps on his gloves again.
He told TNT Sports: “At the end of the day, I say it all the time: Conor is extremely wealthy and has a lot of different options in his life.
“When Conor gets that hunger back and really wants to fight, it’s all up to him.
“If you look at what the guy has accomplished in such a short amount of time, the amount of money he’s made and the business opportunities that he’s taken out of the octagon.
“Conor can do whatever the hell Conor wants to do. And good for him.”
McGregor’s comeback clash with Chandler seemed to be on course to land at UFC 300 before White poured cold water on the prospect.
But former three-time Bellator champion Chandler, 36, is refusing to give up hope of topping the bill of the historic card.
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During an appearance on The MMA Hour, he said: “The door opening for this fight with Conor, whenever it’s finally supposed to be, will be.
“And I’m just being at peace in the midst of the waiting and sometimes at the lack of haste that it happened over the last year.”
He added: “That would be a dream scenario [fighting McGregor at UFC 300].
“That’s when I would like to fight, where I would like to fight, [and] who I would want to fight. Chandler vs. Conor is happening.
“I don’t have a date or a location or a UFC number for you but it’s definitely going to happen next year.”
McGregor hasn’t set foot inside the octagon since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier two-and-a-half years ago.
UFC 296: Edwards v Covington will be exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office, Saturday 15 December, for more info: tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice
