What would be the perfect city for Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon? The MMA sphere has been left wondering if they’ll get to see ‘The Notorious’ finally return to action in 2024. While there was a glimmer of hope with the announcement of his UFC 303 clash against Michael Chandler in June, the dreams of the fandom came crumbling down as the Irishman suffered a toe injury and the bout fell through.

UFC CEO Dana White had recently made the situation even more concerning as in an interview with SportsNet. He claimed that “As of right now, I believe that Conor will not fight this year. Conor’s saying he wants to fight, he wants to fight in December. We’ll see how it plays out.” But according to a pair of UFC veterans, the promotion might have no better option than Las Vegas to ensure McGregor’s return is a massive success!

UFC veterans claim Conor McGregor and Las Vegas are a ‘match made in heaven’ 

Conor McGregor’s fights aren’t just another UFC event, they’re a spectacle that draws thousands from across the globe to witness ‘The Notorious’ in action. As such, speaking on a recent episode of the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ show, Chael Sonnen shared that, “Conor is such an attraction, he’s so over that he’s got 10, 20, 30 thousand people flying in that don’t even have tickets.”

The former UFC middleweight also explained that Las Vegas has the potential to not just be a venue it’s a pilgrimage site for McGregor’s fans. Even without tickets, throngs of supporters would flood the streets, turning the city into a festival of fight culture and so, Sonnen further stated that McGregor, “…would lose that in LA or at least he believes that.”

Sonnen’s insights were echoed by fellow UFC legend Daniel Cormier, who delved into the business side of Las Vegas as a venue for McGregor’s return. According to the former ‘champ-champ’, it’s not just about the glitz and glamour of ‘Sin City’ but, “I think Conor has to be in Vegas because the price. Dude, that’s why the gate was $20 million. You can charge more in Vegas because you got people from all around the world, so, that would be one of the reasons why.”

The UFC 303 card which featured McGregor vs. Chandler was held in Nevada, and before the fight fell through, Dana White had shared that, “It’s already way over $20 million”, referring to the live gate for the fight. McGregor also holds the top spots in the UFC’s list of highest ever live gates with his fight against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 bringing in a staggering $17,700,000. While the UFC 229 clash against Khabib Nurmagomedov, also held in Las Vegas, comes in at the number 2 spot at $17,188,895.

As such, Cormier elaborated that, “…that dude loves being able to say I had the biggest gate of all time, I had the biggest pay-per-view of all time, I had this of all time… and I don’t know if that works that way in a different city outside of Las Vegas.”

The UFC 205 numbers paint a different picture, however. In addition to Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden in New York could also be a suitable venue for a grand return. The UFC’s annual visits to the Big Apple often rake in massive amounts and a McGregor fight would be the cherry on top. Not to mention the historical significance the venue holds for McGregor and the promotion.

With the lights of Las Vegas beckoning and the stakes higher than ever, it’s clear that this isn’t just about another fight—this is about legacy. But what about Conor McGregor’s opponent for his return? Because a UFC lightweight has made a bold-call out after his win at UFC 305 with an intriguing reason behind it!

‘The Hangman’ looking to “snake” McGregor fight from Michael Chandler  

Dana White may not be sure about Conor McGregor’s return in 2024, but Dan Hooker has got his sights set on the Irishman. Hooker recently scored a massive split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305. In his post-fight interview, he aimed his crosshairs at Conor McGregor along with the BMF title and the lightweight crown.

Hooker later explained his thought process to The Mac Life by sharing, “I didn’t necessarily call him out, I just said like, because I am an absolute troll, so it’s like the biggest troll move you could do of all time is to snake that fight off Chandler. Like he waits all that time and then Conor just fights me anyway…”

Chandler has been out of action since 2022 as he has been waiting for the McGregor fight. He also has a history with Hooker as he defeated him via TKO at UFC 257 in his promotional debut. So if the McGregor fight does materialize, ‘The Hangman’ will get some revenge on Chandler and in his own words a “…black belt in troll Olympics”

With another name throwing his hat in the ring to take on ‘The Notorious’, the anticipation has reached a fever pitch for his return. But as Cormier and Sonnen indicated, if McGregor does return, it has to be in Las Vegas. Do you agree that Las Vegas has the potential to be a record setting gate for Conor McGregor’s comeback? Let us know in the comments below!