Conor McGregor has not fought in the UFC since his third defeat to Dustin Poirier and the Irishman has been ramping up speculation over a massive comeback fight
Conor McGregor has been told “something good is coming” by UFC chiefs.
The former dual-weight UFC champion hasn’t competed since enduring a devastating loss to long-standing rival Dustin Poirier in 2021. McGregor, 37, was scheduled to make his octagon return last June, but was compelled to withdraw from his clash with Chandler following a training injury.
McGregor and Chandler have been heading towards a showdown since their time as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter reality programme two years ago. The Irishman recently confirmed his UFC comeback was finalised, though UFC boss Dana White was swift to dismiss those assertions, reports All Out Fighting.
Nonetheless, the 37 year old has offered a fresh update regarding his competitive return. During Uncrowned Film’s latest documentary ‘What is BKFC’, Ariel Helwani caught up with the MMA icon at BKFC 82 earlier this month.
Speaking about his return, McGregor disclosed: “I’m coming back with the White House. I’m having fun with all this, but I’m under no illusion… my comeback for mixed martial arts is paramount. I’d love it to be Chandler… Something good is coming was what they said.”
The ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor has been dealt a bit of a setback after being hit with an 18-month suspension. The UFC star was unavailable for testing on three occasions last year – June 13 (a day before he pulled out of his fight with Chandler), September 19, and September 20.
Initially facing a two-year ban – which would have seen him miss next summer’s UFC event at the White House – he’s now been suspended until March 20.
A statement from the UFC read: “Although McGregor failed to make himself available for testing on those dates, CSAD (Combat Sports Anti-Doping) noted that he was recovering from an injury and was not preparing for an upcoming fight at the time of the three missed tests. McGregor fully cooperated with CSAD’s investigation, accepted responsibility, and provided detailed information that CSAD determined contributed to the missed tests.
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“Despite these mitigating factors, CSAD emphasises that accurate whereabouts filings and the ability to conduct unannounced testing are essential to the success of the UFC ADP. Taking McGregor’s cooperation and circumstances into account, CSAD reduced the standard 24-month sanction for three whereabouts failures by six months. His period of ineligibility began on September 20, 2024 (the date of his third whereabouts failure) and will conclude on March 20, 2026.”
With speculation mounting over a potential clash between McGregor and Chandler, the latter has pledged to halt McGregor, declaring: “I mean, it’s always a case by case, fight by fight basis these days with some of these guys. I’ll never tell a guy when he needs to retire, right? Just like I don’t want anybody to tell me when I retire. I guess it’s possible I retire Conor McGregor but I guess every single fight is a fight where you could be retiring a guy because you never know.
“We’ll see how this whole thing plays out. In the rodeo, we say pull your hat down tight. You pull your hat down tight because you don’t know what’s going to happen next… with the White House, when it’s going to be, where it’s going to be, all the different information. We’ll see how this whole thing plays out. All I know is I want to absolutely starch Conor McGregor on the South Lawn of the White House sometime in 2026. I respect the man and I’m excited to be the guy who welcomes him back to the UFC.”