Conor McGregor, one of the biggest names in the UFC, is all set to make a return to the Octagon. The former two-division champion was once considered as the face of the UFC. However, his absence from the Octagon and the delay in scheduling his fight have raised many questions.

Luke Thomas recently took to his YouTube to analyze the whole situation regarding McGregor’s return. During the video, he pointed out how the UFC has changed, how it does business, but still needs fighters like McGregor. Let us delve into the details to find out what he had to say.

Luke Thomas claims Conor McGregor is still relevant to the UFC!

Conor McGregor was last seen inside the Octagon at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier. The Dubliner lost the fight via knockout and suffered a terrible leg injury. Since then, the 35-year-old has been out of action and is facing the longest lay-off in his career. Despite his interest in making a comeback, he is yet to receive any official confirmation from the UFC. Such a delay in scheduling his fight has raised questions for the fans. Has he lost his magic touch? Or is he not essential for UFC anymore?

Luke Thomas took to his YouTube account to clear the doubts. During the video, he said, “The UFC still has some significant promotional muscle and infrastructure built out in all kinds of different ways. And I think that will stay that way for as long as they are in business. What I think it’s not a question of do they do not want Conor anymore. The issue is this pay-per-view, while still very important for what they do.”

He continued, “Does not retain the importance that it once did. John Nash has talked about this. The lumpiness of their business model right where has these peaks and then these troughs and these big pay-per-view sells and, then nothing else really sells. In those cases, you need an array of dynamic stars in which to sell to make the best use of that medium. They still need people who can sell pay-per-views.”

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McGregor has yet to receive any official announcement of his next fight and is waiting patiently for his comeback. He even received praise from heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Conor McGregor recently shared a video of him enjoying himself in his yacht with his children and even assured that he would be fighting soon. Jones responded to the video and wrote, “That’s called passion”. While the 35-year-old has received praise from ‘ Bones’, he is yet to receive a date. Why is UFC CEO Dana White delaying his return? Well, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen might just have the answer.

Chael Sonnen shared his thoughts on McGregor’s delay

Conor McGregor took his X account (formerly Twitter) to announce his return to the Octagon. He chose International Fight Week for his return and even chose Michael Chandler as his opponent. The pair have been desperately waiting to face each other for a long time now. However, they have yet to receive any official date for their fight. The UFC head honcho also made it clear at The Pat McAfee show that he is still unsure about his return. While many believe Dana White is delaying his return, Sonnen feels a bit different.

In a recent YouTube video, he said, “You get reminded that Dana White will not do anything and that something has a reasonable chance to bounce into something else. Everything must be a springboard, right? Every idea Dana drops lands on a trampoline–whoop!–and it shoots up if it ever drops onto a vortex.”

The 46-year-old also made it clear as to how Dana White makes sure everything is perfect before announcing a fight. Only time will tell whether the much-anticipated comeback will happen or not. Do you feel ‘The Notorious’ One will make a return this year? Let us know in the comments below.

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