Conor McGregor’s future: Why UFC icon’s return date is still unknown?

Conor McGregor’s last fight inside the octagon was in July 2021 against Dustin Poirer in the main event of UFC 264. McGregor suffered a brutal leg injury in the first round of the fight as he broke his tibia of the left leg, thereby ending the fight via doctor stoppage.

McGregor underwent surgery and had Titanium rods inserted inside his leg to recover from the injury. The Irishman appeared as a coach opposite Michael Chandler in the recent season of the Ultimate Fighter but his absence inside the octagon is massively felt among the fans.

Dana White explains why Conor McGregor’s UFC return date is still unknown

At the post-fight press conference of UFC 298, Dana White was asked about the holdup on the return of Conor McGregor. “Well, the first problem was that he broke that shin bone. He was recovering from that, and that was one of the reasons we had it on. The other problem is he’s fucking rich. Conor McGregor doesn’t need money,” White explained in detail the reasons.

“He just filmed a movie, he’s got to do the press for the movie, and he’s got obligations with that,” White also spoke of McGregor’s promotional commitments for his upcoming Road House movie as a hindrance for the holdup. McGregor stars opposite Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie which will be released on Prime Video on March 21, 2024.

Nonetheless, Conor McGregor is adamant about making his return back inside the octagon as evidenced by his frustration on social media. “Get this fucking date set,” McGregor once posted via Instagram to pressurize the promotion to get his return date set.

McGregor has also hinted at headlining UFC 300, but the UFC recently announced Alex Pereira versus Jamahal Hill for the light heavyweight title for the main event. Moreover, Dana White even revealed that Conor McGregor was never in the discussions to headline the PPV.

Dana White claims Conor McGregor the best UFC business partner

Even though Dana White sees Conor McGregor’s financial acumen and movie obligations as a hindrance to making fights, he does not see McGregor as a difficult person to do business with. “Conor McGregor has probably been one of the best business partners we’ve ever had,” White said of McGregor at the UFC 298 post-fight presser.

“Everybody talks about how Conor used to be on the dough and all this stuff. For a guy that was on the dough, Conor McGregor is a very good businessman, and Conor McGregor has always been a great partner to us,” White praised McGregor’s commitment to fight inside the Octagon and do great business with the UFC.

“There’s never any hanging out and haggling for money or, you know, ‘you pay me more money.’ Conor McGregor has never done anything even remotely close to that. It’s the exact opposite,” White further praised McGregor as he referenced that McGregor has never turned down fights for financial reasons.

“When it’s time to dig in and get to work and, you know, make money, he’s probably the most incredible partner we’ve ever had,” White concluded the praise for McGregor. It needs to be noted that nobody came close to what McGregor made in the UFC in terms of finances and also fame.

When will we see Conor McGregor compete in MMA? Leave your thoughts below!