UFC President Dana White isn`t anticipating a return to the Octagon for Conor McGregor in the immediate future.
During a recent interview with Adam Glyn, White was asked about the current status of McGregor, who has been sidelined since suffering a leg fracture during his bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
While White had previously expressed optimism about the possibility of “The Notorious” competing again, potentially in 2025, he now admits that the future for the former two-division champion is uncertain.
“He’s not fighting anytime soon,” White stated directly. He added, “I haven’t talked to him in a minute, but yeah, I don’t know.”
McGregor`s potential comeback has faced multiple setbacks. Besides exploring opportunities outside of mixed martial arts, such as his acting role in the 2024 remake of Road House, he also sustained a toe injury earlier this year. This injury led to the cancellation of a scheduled fight against Michael Chandler that was planned for June.
Further complicating matters, the 36-year-old Irish fighter was recently found liable for sexual assault in a civil lawsuit connected to an incident in Dublin in 2018. He is also currently facing another civil suit alleging sexual assault in Miami in 2023.
Although McGregor has shared footage of himself training on social media, it remains unclear whether these posts genuinely indicate an intent to compete again.
Shifting focus, White mentioned that he is consistently searching for new stars within the UFC. However, he emphasized that he doesn`t expect any upcoming fighter to replicate the unique impact and trajectory of McGregor.
“There will never be another Conor McGregor,” White asserted. “There will be another superstar that pops up, but there will never be another Conor McGregor. There will never be another Ronda Rousey, there will never be another Chuck Liddell, ‘GSP.’ Somebody will pop up.” He concluded by saying, “They make themselves. A hundred percent. We find people who have talent and obviously if you have the personality that all those other people have that we were just talking about, that’s incredible, but I’m always just looking for the best fighters in the world and the rest is up to them.”
