Is Conor McGregor’s world crumbling in front of his eyes? What was supposed to be headlines about his UFC return turned into legal battles and financial hits. After the fighter lost the civil case filed by Nikita Hand for se—l as—lt, BBC reported that Ireland was turning away from him. But it isn’t because of just one incident.

The man who was a trailblazer in the sport of MMA in Ireland was arrested in New York in 2018 for throwing a metal dolly at the window of a bus that had UFC fighters and staff seated inside. McGregor was trying to attack Khabib Nurmagomedov. In a separate case a year later, the Irishman was convicted and fined for punching a man in a Dublin pub. It seems the Nikita Hand case was the last straw.

After Hand won the civil lawsuit, reports suggest that several supermarkets in the UK and Ireland removed brands associated with ‘The Notorious’. Further, Proximo Spirits, the company that purchased McGregor’s Proper 12, stopped using the fighter’s name and likeness for marketing. IO Interactive also ceased their collaboration with the fighter for their ‘Hitman’ video game. But things still get worse.

Is the MMA sphere moving on from McGregor? In an interview last month, UFC CEO Dana White indicated, “When Conor comes back, which I see being sometime the later part of next year, we’ll see where everybody’s at and what’s going on and we’ll figure out who faces Conor.” However, Michael Chandler, who was thought to be the one McGregor would face upon return, has now been told not to hold his breath and move on to another intriguing matchup!

In a new exchange on X, when asked by a fan who ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler would like to face in 2025, he gave an interesting response as he stated, “Conor then Jorge.” But will he get the McGregor fight that he’s been waiting for ever since their appearance as coaches on TUF 31 (The Ultimate Fighter)? In fact, after his UFC 309 loss against Charles Oliveira, Chandler had fired off another shot at the Irishman by challenging him to return to the Octagon to face him.

But according to Ali Abdelaziz, manager of a lot of top UFC stars, that ship might have already sailed. In his response to Chandler on X, Abdelaziz shared, “Hey you know Conor is not coming back but @GamebredFighter said he will fight you, call your boss Champ.”

Jorge Masvidal, a name synonymous with street fighting grit and high-octane rivalries, is positioning himself for a UFC return. After a series of losses, including back-to-back defeats to Kamaru Usman and a grudge fight loss to Colby Covington and later Gilbert Burns, Masvidal had stepped away from the Octagon in 2023.

In an even bigger surprise, Masvidal signed with Dominance MMA earlier this year, hence, Abdelaziz is suggesting a high-octane fight against Chandler for his new client. Everyone knows the beef between Dominance MMA’s main man, and McGregor. So if he can hijack McGregor’s prospective return opponent, that’s two birds with one stone for Ali Abdelaziz.

And to McGregor’s dismay, Chandler has welcomed the challenge. In a post on X, responding to a fan’s request to fight Masvidal, Chandler wrote, “Where you at Jorge?” echoing Nick Diaz’s iconic callout of Georges St-Pierre.

‘Gamebred’ teased his April 2025 UFC comeback during an interview with Jake Shields as he stated, “I’ll be back in April next year in the UFC, we don’t have the opponent yet, hopefully by December we’ve got the opponent and April, Miami card.”

Now the question becomes, will UFC boss Dana White choose to move on from the Chandler vs. McGregor? It is a bout that has become a massive ‘what if’? While Jorge Masvidal plots his return, Conor McGregor’s future remains a question mark. The legal troubles, waning partnerships, and delayed UFC plans have left most fans wondering, has the sport moved on without him?

Matt Brown warns Conor McGregor that the UFC “can’t save him”…

There was a time when Conor McGregor’s name was synonymous with glory. But like a shooting star, his brilliance seems to have burned out. According to UFC veteran Matt Brown, speaking on a recent episode of ‘The Fighter vs The Writer’, “Conor’s going to be in a s—storm here, Obviously he’s going to be fined financially, I don’t think he’s got any problems there. But I think public wise, publicity wise, it’s going to hurt him for sure.”

Brown pointed out that regardless of what happens in the coming months, McGregor is already paying a steep price in public trust. The fiery Irishman, once seen as a lovable rogue, may have crossed a line many find unforgivable. But the UFC veteran didn’t stop there as he continued, “No one’s going to be the one to save him in this situation. The UFC can’t save him. He has to do the right things.”

BKFC’s Mike Perry had thrown an offer to fight ‘The Notorious’ on his own Dirty Boxing Championship after the Irishman claimed that Perry was no longer with BKFC. A fight happening between them is highly unlikely. But if McGregor is to get any goodwill back from his fans before he appeals to higher courts, it has to be earned in the Octagon.

For McGregor, the first step might be turning away from the club lights and getting back to the discipline that built his empire. And what better way to get back to his old ways than putting in the work in the gym and preparing for a fight? He made some bold claims that the perception of his public persona may have influenced the verdict against him.

Well, we can’t comment on that, but in the fight circle, McGregor’s partying videos irked people as he was supposed to be in the UFC 303 fight camp.

Even as Dana White may still hold out hope for a late 2025 return, the sands of time are shifting. Fighters like Michael Chandler are being nudged toward fresh rivalries, and the allure of waiting for ‘The Notorious’ appears to be wearing thin. Do you think we’ll see Conor McGregor back in action in 2025? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!