Conor McGregor has sent rumbles across the MMA sphere with a bold claim about his long-awaited return to the Octagon. With a broken toe forcing McGregor out of a previously planned fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, it seems ‘The Notorious’ is now fully focused on making his comeback count.

His plan? It looks like the Irishman wasn’t happy with being left out of Dana White’s recent announcement of the UFC 310 card for December! As such, he’s made a bold proclamation about the date and an opponent for his comeback that just might make the UFC boss sit up and take notice.

Conor McGregor puts Dana White on blast as he claims he’s got a date and opponent in mind for his return

After his appearance at the BKFC’s (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) event in Spain, Conor McGregor was asked about his plans for his comeback. The Irish MMA icon responded by stating, “February 1st, Saudi Arabia.”

But who’d he like to fight? His original opponent, Michael Chandler is currently gearing up for a clash against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. As such, McGregor indicated that up next in his crosshairs is the no.5 ranked lightweight, Dan Hooker.

Dan Hooker, meanwhile, isn’t backing down from the challenge. The New Zealand native, who is riding high after a split decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305, has been vocal about his willingness to take on McGregor. ‘The Hangman’ was also present at the BKFC event and stated, “I know he needs to fight his contract out with the UFC, he’s looking for an opponent. I’m ready to fight, as soon as I get back to New Zealand after this I’ll jump into training camp. I’m good to go, January, March, next year… if he wants to fight…”

According to multiple reports, the Irishman still has 2-fights left on his UFC contract. As such, a 2025 return against ‘The Hangman’ does make a lot of sense. But Hooker also confessed that with a baby due in February, “I can do January or March, the missus is dropping a baby in February so that… even for McGregor, sorry my friend.”

But the real question is: Will Dana White make it happen? While the UFC CEO hasn’t made the fight official yet or given any statements about McGregor’s claims, the wheels have been set in motion by the Irishman. And even Hooker believes a fight with him offers far more for ‘The Notorious’ than facing Michael Chandler!

‘The Hangman’ thinks Chandler fight doesn’t make sense for McGregor anymore

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler’s canceled UFC 303 bout due to the Irishman’s toe injury had dampened a lot of enthusiasm in the MMA sphere. Now, Chandler is moving on, booked in a rematch with Charles Oliveira for UFC 309. Despite this, McGregor has indicated that he remains intrigued by Chandler, considering him a possibility for his return. However, Dan Hooker has a different perspective.

In a conversation with Submission Radio, the New Zealand native explained, “What does he get out of beating Chandler? He knocks out Michael Chandler in the first round, Conor McGregor doesn’t even get in that top five off of that performance.”

Meanwhile, Chandler’s decision to run things back with Oliveira has left even Hooker perplexed. While he understands Chandler’s motivation to avenge his 2021 loss for the vacant title against the Brazilian, he finds it puzzling from Oliveira’s standpoint. Hooker stated, “I get why Chandler would want the fight. Obviously, if he gets by Oliveira, the UFC has kind of promised him a title shot, I’m sure of it. I don’t know too much about what Charles will get out of it.”

But the question remains, will the UFC and Dana White give McGregor what he wants? Hooker’s readiness to take on the challenge and his belief that this fight makes more sense than Chandler certainly adds intrigue to the storyline. Will Conor McGregor’s audacious claims push the UFC boss into action, or will we see another twist in this already complex tale? Let us know what you think in the comments below!