“It’s Not Even Worth Talking About” – Dana White on Conor McGregor’s Return After UFC 303 Embarrassment

UFC Saudi Arabia turned out to be a remarkable event, but several MMA fans and media personnel were almost fixated on another matter at hand. As Dana White interacted with the media personnel during the post-fight presser, they would ask him about the situation with Conor McGregor and his possible return date. However, the UFC CEO did not seem to voluntarily entertain that question.

As much as people were excited by the news of Conor McGregor’s UFC 303 return, the disappointment of his pulling out was of the same magnitude. Regardless, fans are still waiting to get a glimpse of him in action, but what Dana White had to say about this situation may not be something that fans would love to hear.

Dana White appears uneasy about the Conor McGregor return debacle

With not just McGregor, but several fighters pulling out of the UFC 303 bout, the looming question of how the UFC CEO deals with these situations has been on everyone’s mind. And during the UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov post-fight presser, a journalist naturally inquired about the same. White undeterred, simply answered, “Yeah! its been crazy. But it’s always been crazy,” and went on to clarify that there are always issues and the UFC head honcho is always ready for any unforeseen anguish.

And then when addressing the ‘Notorious’ issue, the question about Conor McGregor and his possible return date, Dana White, first of all, cleared the air about the UFC’s schedule. He remarked that there is already a set plan in motion, and hence, there are no ongoing discussions about the rescheduling of the former dual-weight champion’s fight against Michael Chandler.

“I don’t know right now, yeah. Our schedule’s laid out so we’ll see,” the UFC CEO told the media. Furthermore, Dana White believes that this is not an appropriate time to talk about Conor McGregor’s return. Why? Well, the 54-year-old wants the Irishman to get better and healthy. So unless McGregor gives the green signal and shows that he’s a hundred percent healthy and good to go, the 54-year-old prefers to stay quiet about the rescheduling date of the Michael Chandler fight.

The UFC CEO further stated, “I’m not doing anything until I know that Conor’s healthy. It’s not even worth talking about until, you know, ‘What about September? What about October?'” Moreover, White also seemed peeved by the question as he added, “He’s not ready. So, why even talk about that?” 

While the rescheduling of the Michael Chandler fight is currently out of the question, Conor McGregor did give a little insight about his injury. To be more specific, ‘The Notorious’ claimed to have gotten a little complacent, which eventually led him to get injured.

‘The Notorious’ claims he got injured because he lost concentration

Conor McGregor will turn 36 this coming July 14 and has seemingly planned to buy a vehicle for himself on that special day. But his main intention was to get done with Michael Chandler and get over the fight before his birthday celebrations, which ultimately did not come to fruition due to the injury. As far as McGregor’s claims about his injury go, he stated that he lost his way and ended up breaking his toe due to negligence.

“It was a lapse in concentration. If I was any one of these other little bums that can’t move, that have no footwork and don’t rely on their skills, then I would be okay,” stated Conor McGregor during the Bellator Dublin event. He’s admitted to currently taking proper care of the injury and is yet to see when he can make his impending return, although he plans to fight in August or September.

He has even undergone stem cell treatment, which is often utilized by athletes to speed up the healing process. Given that he confessed that the pain from the fracture but even worse than when he broke his shin bone in a bout against Dustin Poirier, it seems like taking a step back could have been the right decision for the ex-double champ.

What do you think about White’s stance on the matter? And do you think Conor McGregor is going to return this year to fight Michael Chandler? Let us know in the comments down below.