Amidst Conor McGregor‘s absence from action in the UFC, there have been certain speculations regarding the Irishman departing from the company. However, things may not be bright for the former double champion if he decides to leave for another promotion. According to MMA legend Chael Sonnen, McGregor is kind of trapped in his current promotion.

As if the legal problems weren’t enough, McGregor has also been dealing with a plethora of issues, but Chael Sonnen cleared this one out. ‘The American Gangster’ claims that in no scenario will ‘The Notorious’ find himself in a better place if he decides to leave Dana White’s promotion. “If he were released today… there’s not anywhere else to go,” Sonnen stated on his YouTube channel.

But what could be the reason that McGregor faces hurdles if he leaves the UFC? Well, it’s simply the fact that he brings a lot to a promotion, and for that, he’d need to be compensated well. For the UFC, the financial side of things doesn’t seem too big of a deal, but for other promotions, it may not be as easy as they hope it would be.

“Through all the marketing, all the headlines, and all of the fun [and] all of the wow factors, there is not another promoter that is willing, has the ability, or could write the cheque,” Sonnen added. ‘The American Gangster’ claims that the only time when things looked to be working for a superstar of McGregor’s caliber was for Georges St-Pierre, who wanted to fight Oscar De La Hoya, who had also become a promoter by then. However, that didn’t work out either.

So it seems like McGregor is trapped with his UFC contract, but what about him fighting again? Well, ‘The Bad Guy’ also answered that question by stating the only criteria at play for Dana White to book his biggest star for a fight.

Chael Sonnen highlights the only way Dana White would consider making a Conor McGregor fight

While setting up fights and pairing up fighters, Dana White usually looks for what that scrap can lead to in the future. When we talk about Conor McGregor, there are several rumors and speculated opponents that he could face now in a time when the Michael Chandler fight plans look uncertain. People have been talking about him taking Nate Diaz in a trilogy bout or maybe coming back to fight Jorge Masvidal, who wants to fight again. However, Sonnen claims that the 55-year-old UFC head honcho won’t make a fight that doesn’t have any implications in the future.

“What do we think Dana is going to do? Dana doesn’t play checkers; he plays chess. He’s several steps ahead, and if your match doesn’t have meaning for the future, a potential to take you somewhere else, White will not book that match,” Chael Sonnen recently stated in an Instagram post.

Well, it is rumored that McGregor would make his return in a boxing match against Logan Paul. But what lies after that? Well, we will have to wait and see. Regardless, let us know your thoughts on Sonnen’s theory about McGregor’s UFC departure rumors in the comments down below.