It’s been hard being a Conor McGregor fan in recent years. The Irishman has now been out of action since 2021 and lately, it seems like every time the MMA sphere thinks they’re about to see ‘The Notorious’ return, the timeline shifts. With the UFC 303 cancellation of his bout against Michael Chandler still fresh in the minds of many, the Irishman has made a bold confession about what the future holds for one of the biggest names in the world of combat sports.

At the recent Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois clash, McGregor was interviewed by Ariel Helwani. The question is, when is he coming back? UFC CEO Dana White has recently stated that 2025 seems likely for the Irishman’s return. McGregor also indicated the same as he shared, “It’ll be 2025.”

When further pressed for a concrete date, the former champ-champ confessed, “You know, we’ll see. My opponent that I had scheduled, Chandler, has got re…has got matched.” Was McGregor upset by this? Not at all. According to him, “No. You know, it is what it is. I just take it on board and just rock on. My job is just to go to the gym, be in the gym, be in shape. And, you know, one thing is for sure, when the whenever it is and and wherever it is, I will be 100% ready. And that that’s that’s all I can focus on right now.”

McGregor was originally set to face Michael Chandler after their stint coaching on The Ultimate Fighter 31. But with multiple delays and the UFC 303 cancellation, Chandler is now penciled in for a clash against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in November. As such, the fans aren’t too happy with Conor McGregor’s proposed timeline, and here’s a look at what the community had to say in the comments section!

Fans not buying into Conor McGregor’s claim about his next fight in 2025  

The fans pointed out that we’ve been here in this situation before, as earlier this year, Conor McGregor had shared on a ‘Duelbits’ live chat, “Three bouts this year… Please God, three bouts. June 29, Sept. 5, and something tasty in December, end of year.” But with the ship having sailed on all 3-dates, the excitement for McGregor’s return is seemingly dimmer than ever before.

“He also confirmed that he would fight in 2024 in 2023”

The criticism doesn’t stop there. After years of teasing and delays, even McGregor’s most loyal supporters are seemingly starting to lose patience.

“Does anyone else just not care anymore”

Some fans even pointed out that the Irishman has been more active on social media and the closest he’s come to a fight is firing shots at X. According to a recent Q&A session in Ireland, Dana White had revealed, “It’s going to (be) determined when Conor comes back, who the opponent is”. But with no concrete date for his return and the fan interest dropping, what does this mean for McGregor’s long-awaited comeback?

“Only fight he’s gonna have is on twitter”

Others have even taken to joking about it. One particularly frustrated enthusiast claimed that GTA (Grand Theft Auto) 6 has a better chance of releasing before a McGregor fight. For those outside the gaming realm, the title is the newest installment in the franchise after GTA 5 which came out in 2013. Currently, the studio has confirmed that GTA 6 is scheduled for a late 2025 release. Now the question remains, what happens first, a McGregor fight or the similarly long-awaited GTA 6 release?

“We’ll get gta 6 before Mac fights again”

There is also speculation that UFC has bigger plans in mind, with McGregor’s two remaining fights being used as leverage in their upcoming streaming deal negotiations. After all, McGregor’s star power is undeniable, and UFC would likely want to maximize his value. The same theory has also been put forward by social media star turned boxer, Jake Paul.

“Decisions out of Conor’s hands because he pulled out. After he did it makes more sense for the ufc to use those 2 fights left to negotiate a better streaming deal”

To wrap things up, as the UFC’s biggest star, McGregor knows how to keep people talking, but at what point does the anticipation turn into frustration? As the reactions above indicate, the patience is wearing thin among the fans and despite a confirmation of a 2025 return, there’s still no date or opponent announced for the Irishman.  While McGregor insists he’ll be “100% ready” when the time comes, some wonder if the time for his comeback has already passed.

Do you think Conor McGregor is just stringing the fandom along or is there hope that the Irishman’s famed left hand will be back in action inside the Octagon in 2025? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!