Dana White contradicts Conor McGregor as he gives UFC return update

Conor McGregor has suggested on numerous occasions that he is ready to return to the UFC on short notice, but Dana White has claimed that the Irishman needs more time.

Dana White has given fans an update on Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon, and has contradicted 'The Notorious' in the process.

Speaking at an event promoting Callum Walsh’s fight with at the 3Arena on Friday evening, White claimed that McGregor’s opponent was unknown and would only become known when the Irishman is ready to make a return some time in the new year.

“Its going to be determined by when Conor comes back, who the opponent is,” said White when asked whether McGregor would fight the winner of November’s fight between Charles Oliveira and longtime pencilled in opponent Michael Chandler.

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“Whenever Conor is ready and he comes back. He hit me up last night when he heard that I was here. He’s in New York right now and he’s training.”

White’s comments fly in the face of McGregor’s repeated claims that he is ready to return to the octagon on short notice, with the Irishman mentioning both this month’s UFC ‘Noche’ event at the Sphere in Las Vegas and UFC 310 in December.

McGregor had been due to return against Michael Chandler in June but pulled out two week’s before the bout with a broken toe. Chandler, who has waited two years to scrap with McGregor, has since accepted a fight with Oliveira for November.

Despite accepting another fight, Chandler has made it clear that while McGregor won’t be his next opponent, Chandler is still certain that when McGregor returns it will be in a fight against the American.

“I've always given my opponents a ton of respect, said Chandler last week, ”There's a difference between booking a fight with Conor McGregor, and everyone else in the entire sport.

“There's different dates, locations, that you put Conor McGregor on. It's different, and there's a lot of layers. I love the fight against Conor, and I will fight Conor in 2025. But right now we're going to go and fight and beat Charles.”

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