Dana White’s latest update on Conor McGregor’s return to UFC doesn’t sound great

Will "The Notorious" ever fight again? The UFC CEO's recent remarks all but confirm the answer.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Anyone still holding out a glimmer of hope that former two-division champion Conor McGregor is going to fight this year, or at all, should think again.

Dana White Provides Uninspiring Update on McGregor

That's according to UFC CEO Dana White, who met with assembled media Saturday afternoon following an 11-fight UFC Saudi Arabia card that concluded with Nassourdine Imavov knocking out former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya just 30 seconds into Round 2.

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White was briefly asked about McGregor, who is currently undergoing dealing with personal issues outside of the Octagon along with promoting BKFC, amongst other ventures.

Conor McGregor speaks to press on the red carpet before the premiere of Roadhouse at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. / [NETWORK PROPERTY]-USA TODAY NETWORK

Having not fought since July 2021, a TKO leg injury defeat in his trilogy fight against former Interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier, White could not provide a timetable, nor a clear answer about whether the once-beloved Irish superstar would fight again and would not expand upon his answer further.

"Conor? I'm not sure when Conor will be back," White said briefly.

McGregor had been scheduled to finally complete the story of TUF 31 with a fight against Michael Chandler last June in the main event of UFC 303. Weeks before the fight, the once-scheduled summer blockbuster was postponed, never rescheduled and likely scrapped forever after McGregor suffered a toe injury, leaving him unable to compete.

McGregor's Own Comments On UFC Return

At the time, McGregor had ensured his fanbase he would fight again. To this day, he has yet to deliver on his promise. Given the path he is going on, there's a chance he may never repay the MMA community for the fight that didn't happen.

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"Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout," McGregor posted last June, via Yahoo Sports. "I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team."

Conor McGregor holds his leg after suffering an injury against Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

To this day, there are still many questions about what went wrong with McGregor's latest saga. To put it simply, it's probably part of his legacy, amongst other legal issues that will be remembered more than his meteoric rise to the top of the sport.

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