The journey of Conor McGregor’s return is constantly facing hurdles one after another. Earlier this year, UFC President Dana White announced McGregor’s stint in The Ultimate Fighter 31 and his eventual return to the octagon later in the calendar year. However, things have certainly not gone as planned. 2023 is coming to an end, and fans have heard nothing about the Irishman’s return. Moreover, USADA’s testing rule is such that McGregor will have to spend at least 6 months in the USADA testing pool before competing. As per recent information, the Irishman hasn’t even entered USADA’s testing pool. This means that we are very far from his return.

In this dire situation, many fans and pundits have expressed their opinions about McGregor never returning to the UFC. Even if he does, there are several reasons why he could be on his way out, and almost all of them are to his benefit.

Only two fights left on Conor McGregor’s contract

Before his record-breaking fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor signed a six-fight deal with the UFC. While intricate details about the contract were not made public, it is obvious that the deal had handsome financial benefits for the former UFC double champion. However, it has been 5 years since, and McGregor has only 2 fights left on the contract.

In his last 4 bouts, McGregor has lost 3 of them against Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. With only one victory since 2018, fans are unsure about the Irishman signing another contract with the UFC. His injury problems and delayed return have added another layer of uncertainty to this situation.

In an appearance on the MMA Hour Show with Ariel Helwani earlier this year, McGregor discussed his contract. “So I’ve got two fights left on my contract and I hope we can continue. So, I wanna be in the UFC, that’s my catalog, it’s in the UFC. My highlight reel is in the UFC,” he said. However, a lot of things have gone down since, and there is a possibility that the Irishman might have changed his mind.

Is Conor McGregor struggling to get fights in the UFC?

Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest draw for the UFC. Despite this, he has claimed that Dana White’s promotion is not arranging a fight for him. A few months ago, ‘The Notorious’ took to X to vent his frustration about the same. In a series of tweets, he revealed how he was ready to fight but still wasn’t getting a date for his return!

“I’m ready, yeah? I’m ready. I wanted and announced December 16th [and] I have given everything”, he tweeted. Going ahead, the Irishman even made a public request to the CEO of Endeavor, Ari Emanuel.

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“Please God, someone. Ari, Ari, my man. I am ready, yeah? December 16th,” he said. In another tweet, UFC’s first double champ talked about how UFC was allegedly taking his livelihood away. “Tell the commission what’s the story because I’m being kept from my livelihood here,” he wrote. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time fans have witnessed such a situation!

A similar situation in 2020 and conflicts with Dana White

When Conor McGregor returned to fight Donald Cerrone in 2020, everyone expected him to stay much more active in the UFC. He had even announced that he would have a season going for him that year. However, that was not what happened! To everyone’s shock, the Irishman’s next fight happened more than a year later. In the middle of all this, McGregor even posted screenshots of his conversations with Dana White on his social media accounts.

In the screenshots, McGregor could be seen constantly pitching fights to White. However, the former UFC CEO did not go ahead with the Irishman’s request. Soon after McGregor released screenshots, Dana White responded with a bitter reply.

“I’ve had people blowing me up left and right. Everybody here knows, even the ladies. This is some man code stuff, you know? It’s just something you don’t do. It’s one of the dirtiest things you can do,” Dana White said in a press conference. Afterward, McGregor replied in a similar tone. “Code was broke when you lied about me turning down fights, mate.” McGregor’s Netflix documentary, ‘McGregor Forever’ also showcased these problems.

Can Conor McGregor get more money outside the UFC?

While his last few fights might affect Conor McGregor’s MMA record, his bank account surely isn’t affected. The Irishman is one of the richest athletes in the world and has certainly earned more money than anyone else in the UFC. However, there is still a lot of potential for him to earn more.

Many MMA pundits have bashed UFC for paying a very small percentage of profits to its fighters. This means that even if McGregor’s payouts sound lucrative, the UFC could be making much more because of him. Other promotions like PFL are paying out way better percentages to its famous fighters, like the estranged ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

Although a far-fetched idea for now, if McGregor shakes hands with PFL, he would probably grasp a way bigger deal. There are loads of options for the Irishman in the future. However, it remains to be seen which route he will take. Do you want to see McGregor part ways with the UFC? Let us know in the comments below.

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