Conor McGregor is in his longest-ever lay-off. According to the Irishman, he has been itching to compete and has been demanding the UFC for a fight. However, as of yet, there is no intimation of his return. Moreover, At UFC 298, Ilia Topuria won against Alexander Volkanovski and thereafter called out McGregor, adding yet another name to the list of his potential challengers.

Subsequently, in the post-fight press conference, the CEO of the UFC, Dana White was asked about the possibility of a McGregor return for this potential bout. However, in his response, he claimed that the likelihood of his comeback is less given the leg injury that he sustained in his last bout among other factors. Meanwhile, his comments did not sit well with an MMA insider who made it a point to lash out at him.

Dana White’s comments about McGregor’s return draw a polarising response

According to Big John McCarthy, a former UFC referee, White’s comments were not necessarily coherent. That is because McGregor sustained his leg break back in 2021 and he was seen training within a year. This means that the injury ceased to be a hindrance to his return and making that a reason for his delay is not logical.

On his ‘Weighing In’ podcast with UFC veteran Josh Thomson, he said, “He’s gotten past the leg. Let’s be honest; he was past the leg before you filmed The Ultimate Fighter. Okay, the leg was taken care of; it had healed up. Yes, he’s got to get in shape and stuff, but that was all done before The Ultimate Fighter. So he hasn’t fought in a long time.”

The aforementioned comments suggest that John McCarthy, alongside many other fans, is frustrated by McGregor being out of the sport for so long. However, it bears mention that, in the same interview, White teased that the fans about the return of the ‘Mac,’ although it may be easier said than done.

Does White see McGregor returning to the UFC?

According to White, it is entirely possible that the Irishman does not come back to the sport given his other commitments. That being said, he also claims that McGregor has not explicitly talked about retirement with him and is eager to make a comeback. However, White is not certain if the same would happen.

He said, “I don’t know [about McGregor’s UFC future]. Conor McGregor’s got a lot of money and you know, anytime we get Conor, we’re thrilled when he comes and fights.” He added, “He just filmed a movie. He’s got to do the press for the movie and he’s got obligations with that. He does wanna fight this year. We’ll see what happens.”

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UFC 300, then International Fight Week, and then rumors of a return in the Fall – the speculated return date for McGregor are many. With White announcing the UFC 300 main event, the April PPV is practically ruled out for his return. However, International Fight Week in June and a fall return remain open doors.

If McGregor had his way, he would pick the earliest available date and per his New Year’s Eve announcement, it would be International Fight Week – the date he mentioned was June 29. Hopefully, we get some clarity on the same in the coming months.

Read more: Conor McGregor Next Fight: Dana White’s Honest Answer to Irishman’s Rumored Return Leaves UFC Fans Divided