Dana White’s Contender Series kicked off this week with a string of spectacular matchups as four new prospects earned UFC contracts at the UFC APEX. But perhaps the biggest takeaway from the night came during the post-event press conference, where UFC CEO White was quizzed about Conor McGregor’s status.
McGregor was originally booked to face Michael Chandler, with the pair having coached opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter. Their matchup was all set to take place at UFC 303 during UFC International Fight Week, but a toe injury sustained by the Irishman saw those plans fall by the wayside.
Hopes were high that the pair would be rebooked swiftly, but as the weeks have passed since the July pay-per-view, McGregor’s comeback status remains up in the air, with doubts being cast over whether he and Chandler would ever fight.
It led to White being asked about McGregor this week at the UFC APEX, with the pair having both been in Sturgis, with the Dubliner in South Dakota for BKFC’s latest event.
White was asked if he and McGregor had met and, as reported by RG.org, the UFC boss stated, “We talked. Yeah, we talked. We didn’t meet up, but we talked. Yeah, he wants to fight, so we will figure it out.”
White was then asked whether that meant McGregor would be making his Octagon return soon, and by the end of the year. White then replied, “Not this year. He will not fight this year.”
The news came as something of a surprise to those hoping to see the Irishman back in the Octagon before the end of the year.
It had looked like the stars were aligning for McGregor to return, most likely against Chandler, in the main event of the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of the year, in December. And even McGregor seemed to share the same view, as he posted on X in a since-deleted message, stating his desire to fight in December.
“Ah Dana, December is the date!” he wrote.
“Bring the calendar year home with a winning event! Come on now, what’s this? I am off to altitude next month to prepare. DECEMBER!! Tell Dana and UFC WE WANT DECEMBER! WE DESERVE DECEMBER!”
It all throws McGregor’s comeback timeline up in the air, and continues to leave Chandler hanging, with the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion still unsure of his next move.
But for now, we’re still waiting for news on both men as they get their return dates confirmed. Whether it’ll be against each other is anyone’s guess.
