It sounds like Conor McGregor and the UFC are finally getting back on the same page again.
Following months of delays in booking the Irish superstar for his next fight, McGregor told MMA Fighting on Wednesday that he finally received word from the UFC that he will make his highly anticipated return sometime during the summer of 2024. That came after McGregor hinted at not hearing much from the UFC regarding his return to action despite making constant overtures about fighting sooner rather than later.
UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation in a new interview posted Thursday, disputing claims that the promotion hasn’t been in contact with McGregor. Instead, White says UFC just allowed McGregor the breathing room that he needed to promote his role in the new Road House remake, which had him traveling around the globe over the past few weeks.
“There’s no lack of communication. Not at all,” White told the Pound-4-Pound podcast. “You know where Conor is tonight? He’s in New York City for the premiere of Road House. He has obligations right now to promote this movie. So he’s been flying all over the world, going to all the premieres of the launch of this movie. This is an obligation that he has to do. It is what it is. He committed to this movie. He has obligations to this movie. He can’t do both.
“So once this movie launches, which is Thursday, this thing launches Thursday the 21st, and boom — I don’t know what his obligations are once it launches, then Conor can get back in the gym and start training. Like full-time, getting ready for a camp.”
White commended McGregor for his business savvy, not only as a new film star but also playing it smart where his fight career is concerned.
Because the Road House remake ate up so much of his time, McGregor was never a viable option for the upcoming UFC 300 card on April 13. With the film officially out in the world as of March 21, White expects that McGregor will soon get back in the gym and they’ll discuss next steps to book a fight.
“Conor McGregor, for a guy who was on the dole or whatever his situation was when he came into the UFC, for a guy that had never done big business, he’s a pretty good f******* businessman,” White said. “He’s been a great partner to us. I like to be a good partner back.
“Conor needed this time to take off, handle his obligations, and now, once this is over, he can get back into full-time training — which means from Thursday on, we can start talking about fights for Conor.”
McGregor is expected to clash with Michael Chandler in his return, although nothing has been signed yet.
While he anticipates McGregor’s UFC comeback to take place in the near future, White doubled down on his belief that the wealth the former two-division champion amassed still plays some part in his delayed comeback.
“Once you start to make a lot of money, you’re not as hungry as you were before and it is harder to get in the gym, and it does suck to f******* grind as hard as you used to grind,” White said. “It is harder to stay on top once you make that kind of money.
“Then you think about the money that Conor’s made — tthis dude’s living on f****** legit yachts for months and s*** like that.”
