UFC CEO Dana White recently announced all the major upcoming fights for the remaining pay-per-views of the year. However, there were no signs that Conor McGregor will make his return in 2023. Instead, new reports suggest that the 54-year-old promoter has set up a fight for rising Irish sensation Ian Garry against a welterweight veteran for UFC 296.

When Conor McGregor got pitted against Michael Chandler in the 31st edition of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, fans were certain that he’d return to fight this year. However, the Irishman’s exclusion from the USADA’s testing pool did not help his case. And now, it is confirmed that he will not return this year. Let’s take a look at the latest development.

Ian Garry, and not Conor McGregor, will fight at UFC 296

Rising Irish star Ian Garry has been on a roll since arriving in the UFC. He is not only undefeated in Dana White’s promotion with six wins in a row but also remains undefeated overall with a 13-0 record. Moreover, fans saw him dominate veteran Neil Magny and defeated him via a unanimous decision victory in his last fight. Now, Dana White has announced his next fight.

According to MMA journalist Marc Raimondi, ‘The Future’ will fight in the last pay-per-view of the year, UFC 296, against Vicente Luque. ‘The Silent Assassin’ returned to action against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Vegas 78 after recovering from a career-ending injury. Both fighters will be looking to end their year on a great note as Dana White looks forward to an epic pay-per-view in December. But what does it mean for Conor McGregor?

There’s still no word on McGregor’s return date

Recently, rumors started circulating that the UFC may return to Ireland after nine long years. Australian fighter Jamie Mullarkey‘s management team, in a post on Instagram, mentioned that they were looking to push for an event in Conor McGregor’s native country. This gave rise to speculations about ‘The Notorious’s eventual return to the Octagon.

However, the recent announcements that Dana White made put all those rumors to bed. It looks like Conor McGregor will have to wait until next year to fight inside the Octagon again. Regardless of the absence of the former double champion, people will still get to witness another Irish star fight later this year.

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As he’s been away from action, Conor McGregor continued to issue callouts to many fighters. Moreover, he mentioned his plans to fight Michael Chandler, BMF Champion Justin Gaethje, and former rival Nate Diaz in the future. However, those plans may not come to fruition until further notice. Meanwhile, it has been a great year for the UFC in terms of revenue. It seems like Dana White is looking to end the year in a similar fashion. What are your thoughts on the uncertainty of McGregor’s return? Drop your comments below.

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