Dana White was been receiving hints from Conor McGregor regarding his retirement. The UFC CEO previously believed that ‘The Notorious’ was likely frustrated with the lack of available fights in 2020. But now, bidding McGregor farewell might be the inevitable step for the UFC head honcho. Why? Well, during his time on the microphone at BKFC 70 post-fight press conference, ‘The Notorious’ alluded to his wish to lay down his gloves. 

But should White actually let his star fighter go? Let’s take a look at the past and find out what decision the UFC boss should make regarding McGregor’s return or possible retirement. After all, UFC might need to move on from McGregor as the face of the sport. 

Conor McGregor hasn’t fought for a long while

The last time ‘Mystic Mac’ graced the Octagon was at UFC 264 when he faced Dustin Poirier for the third time in his career. And that was nigh on 4 years ago. The bout ended with Poirier’s victory as McGregor’s shin snapped in the first round. After that, things changed drastically for the Irishman. Of course, he’s still a star attraction for the fighting world. But that doesn’t mean that other fighters couldn’t rise in the absence of his fame, right? And that’s what happened in the UFC. 

During the time McGregor recovered and focused on his life beyond the UFC, fighters like Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria started to gain traction in the featherweight division. Meanwhile, the lightweight realm witnessed the rise of Islam Makhachev as the new and current champion. Unlike ‘The Notorious’, these fighters have stayed active and continuously worked on building their reputation in the fight game. The big guns at the UFC have begun to rely on the star factor these fighters bring to the promotion instead of relying on McGregor. On top of that, the PPV buyouts have also seen a rise which means the UFC doesn’t actually need McGregor’s name to to put on big events. 

But that doesn’t mean Conor McGregor hasn’t been given a chance to make a return. He was supposed to come back against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last year until a pinky toe injury forced him out of the bout, at the last moment. Still, UFC 303 didn’t fall through, as the biggest star at the time Alex Pereira stepped up on short notice to save the card alongside Jiri Prochazka. It just seems like the Irish former UFC double champion is done with sanctioned fighting. 

Does Conor McGregor aspire to be back in the Octagon?

After his UFC 303 fight against Michael Chandler fell through due to a broken pinky toe, ‘The Notorious’ pressured Dana White to let him fight by the end of 2024. But the UFC head honcho, back then, seemed to have already put a plan together for his return in mid-2025. However, McGregor was already in talks with Jake Paul and his brother, Logan Paul, for a boxing bout in India. Even though it turned out to be a ruse, it clearly revealed that ‘The Notorious’ wasn’t too excited to make a return to the Octagon. 

And that was further substantiated when the Irishman took control of the microphone at the BKFC 70 post-fight press conference. Therein, he revealed that he refused to fight at Alcatraz in an event in June 2025. He said, “There was an opportunity or a deal, we’ll say, to fight in Alcatraz only recently. There’s an event going on in Alcatraz in, I believe, June. They came to me and it wasn’t my worth.”

To be fair, ‘The Notorious’ already did all that he set out to do in the MMA realm. That’s what Charles Oliveira said when he was asked about the Irishman. Right now, the Irish mixed martial artist is more focused on his life beyond the Octagon. After all, a majority of his wealth was built outside the UFC, despite him getting his big break in the world’s premier MMA promotion. 

‘The Notorious’ is more focused on politics and business

At the post-fight press conference at BKFC: Hollywood, McGregor weighed in on his desire to fight for his country. He said, “Last week something happened to me. I went to the White House, and my heart bleeds for my country right now. So there’s a lot of stuff going on back home, I’m happy with what I’ve done. There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now and that’s kind of where I’m going. So we’ll see, greatness doesn’t rush. And right now Ireland is in my thoughts and that’s where I’m at.”

Running for the Irish Presidency necessitated that he give up on his return and put all of his focus on his campaigns. He met Donald Trump, interacted with US government officials, and kept on rallying to ask for support. On top of that, his businesses also demand his undivided attention. Let’s not talk about the $600M Proper No 12 Irish whiskey, that turned its back on McGregor in the wake of his losing the civil trial in the Dublin High Court late last year.

Through his social media accounts, McGregor can often be seen partying and promoting his Black Forge Inn. Apart from that, he has pushed forth the Forged Iron Irish Stout. Yes, the same stout that’s been competing against the multi-billion-worth Guinness Irish Stout. And for that, McGregor has to focus. To make himself even richer, the $200 million worth Irishman became a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in April 2024. While the stakes are still a mystery, he has never missed a beat with BKFC events, taking on an aggressive role as a promoter. Undeniably, his presence has indeed caused a rise in the popularity of the sport. 

And how can we forget his stint in Hollywood? He spent quite a bit of time preparing for his debut in Hollywood in Jake Gyllenhaal’s Roadhouse 2024. It was an instant hit, although many cinema heads lashed out at the remake. But McGregor isn’t done with just one movie. He recently claimed that he has a couple of movies lined up.

Nevertheless, McGregor still remains one of the most recognizable and celebrated names in the world of mixed martial arts, even though his return has been a topic shrouded in doubt for years. But for now, the UFC head honcho must look the other way and focus on bringing up other fighters to be the face of the organization. What do you think about McGregor’s much-awaited return to the UFC? Do you think he will actually retire as an MMA fighter? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.