Dana White Reveals Conor McGregor’s Status for ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ After Rumored Michael Chandler Fight at UFC 306

When will Conor McGregor return to the Octagon? The Irish MMA icon was set to make his comeback to the cage on June 29 at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler. However, the fans eagerly awaiting his return were left hanging as McGregor suffered an injury to his toe that caused him to withdraw from the event. The UFC and Dana White managed to save the event by setting up a rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka for the light heavyweight title instead, but ‘The Notorious’s return timeline has now become a source of much speculation in the MMA sphere.

In a recent interview, the UFC boss was asked to share an update about Conor McGregor’s return as there have been rumors about him possibly fighting Chandler at ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ or UFC 306 in September. However, according to Dana White, the fans may have to wait some more to find out when they’ll get to see the Irish MMA icon return to competition!

Dana White shuts down talks of Conor McGregor fighting on ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ card  

In a recent interview with Robbie Fox, UFC CEO Dana White gave his response to the conversations surrounding Conor McGregor’s return possibly happening in, “August, September, maybe October…”. White bluntly responded by stating, “None of the above.”

McGregor himself had addressed the speculation surrounding his return in an interview with Severe MMA as he’d revealed his ideal timeline for his comeback by stating, “August, September … I’d love”. He also confessed that due to the injury, he’s unable to wear shoes and has been undergoing stem cell treatment for his broken toe.

With the Irishman hinting at a return in September, there had also been conversations in the MMA sphere that were hoping that the UFC would target ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’, set to be held on September 14 in Las Vegas, to reschedule the McGregor vs Chandler bout.

But in his interview at the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference, Dana White stated, “What about September? What about October? He’s not ready. So why even talk about that?” and revealed that since McGregor’s still in recovery, the promotion has “no time frame” about his return or any plans at the moment.

As such, the fans will have to exercise some more patience for Conor McGregor’s comeback as so far, the focus for the UFC and McGregor remains on his recovery before he steps back into the cage. Nevertheless, ‘The Notorious’ has also found support for his decision to withdraw from UFC 303 from an unlikely ally!

Nate Diaz slams MMA world ‘freaking out’ over McGregor’s withdrawal

Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from his bout against Michael Chandler due to his toe injury has drawn criticism from many prominent voices in the MMA sphere. However, the Irishman has now found one of his long-time rivals coming out to show his support. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Nate Diaz stated, “I think they made a bigger deal out of it than it is. Good idea. If I get f***ed up, I would like to push the fight back too, but people f***ing freak out. ”

The Stockton native also indicated that he would have done the same if he was in McGregor’s shoes as he has regretted taking on fights in the past when he wasn’t fully healthy too. Diaz further went on to state that he believes that the criticism will continue until McGregor fights again, but he is confident that the bout with Chandler will eventually happen and be successful.

In conclusion, Conor McGregor’s UFC return remains up in the air and fans will be hoping that when he does step back into the Octagon, they’ll witness a performance that will reflect the best version of ‘The Notorious’. Do you think Conor McGregor will return in 2024? Should Michael Chandler continue to wait for the Irishman or pursue a different opponent in the meanwhile? Let us know in the comments below!