Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC octagon was one of the most anticipated events this June. However, the fighter, who we haven’t seen compete in the Octagon in three years yet again pulled out due to an injury. However, he has now returned to MMA camp and recently shared videos of it on his Instagram, where he could be seen having his first sparring session.

This truly made his fans rejoice at the fact that the Notorious could potentially make his return to the Octagon. However, it seems like the Irishman is back to his notorious ways, as the MMA fighter has recently uploaded a video where he can be seen enjoying life again by bartending for his fans and serving them liquor.

In the caption of the post, he wrote, “The Mac in the Jersey Shore! @forgedirishstout @properwhiskey @riverrocknj 🌪️☘️” while in the video he can be seen dancing with a bottle of whiskey while entertaining the guest. This surely disappointed his fans, who expected McGregor to get serious about his return and make MMA his prime focus.

Conor McGregor has been on the sidelines since July 2021, when he broke his leg in his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Since that defeat, he has not stepped foot in the octagon in more than 38 months. So surely he has a lot of ring rust to get rid of before he can even think of stepping into the Octagon. However, it seems like The Notorious is busy enjoying his life to the fullest instead.

So what does his return timeline look like now? He is back to his sparring sessions, so he surely would be returning in 2024, right? Well, the answer to our questions has finally been answered by the only one who could tell the truth, Dana White. The UFC CEO has finally provided the answer to when McGregor will return.

Dana White ratifies Conor McGregor’s return date

With the UFC, you never know, but Dana White seems determined to hold out a little longer for Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to competition, originally scheduled for June of this year. The CEO of the top promotion of mixed martial arts has reaffirmed in an interview with the New York Post that the Irish MMA legend will not return to the octagon until 2025.

“Let me tell you this: I was the one this year saying I don’t think he’s going to fight this year, amid all the talk and everything else. Conor McGregor will fight next year, early 2025,” the UFC chief executive told the New York newspaper, which insisted on the issue since McGregor himself has been asking for the December date scheduled for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for some time.

The Irishman spent much of the summer posting messages on his social media about his preferences after the cancellation of UFC 303 in June because of a broken finger. Michael Chandler, his expected opponent, remains unblocked and without an opponent for now. So it would be interesting to see if McGregor chooses the same opponent for his return and what UFC PPV he would opt for. What do you think? Is McGregor really slacking off? Let us know in the comments.