There may be hope in sight for Conor McGregor fans who have been waiting for his return to the cage! It has already been 3 years since UFC 264, where he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier and was forced into a long period of recovery. Things seemed to be looking up when it was announced McGregor would be taking on Michael Chandler for his comeback.

But after the UFC 303 fight against Chandler fell through due to the Irishman’s toe injury, the MMA sphere was left wondering if they’ll get to see ‘The Notorious’ return to action later this year. Now, there has been another twist in the saga, as UFC boss Dana White has received an interesting response from the Irishman who hasn’t given up on his Octagon return just yet!  

Dana White gets an offer to end the year with a bang by Conor McGregor  

At a recent DWCS (Dana White Contender Series) press conference, UFC CEO Dana White was asked to share if he had been in talks with McGregor about his return and a possible timeline for the same. The UFC boss confessed, “We talked, yeah. We didn’t meet up. But we talked. And yeah, he wants to fight. So we’ll figure it out. Not this year. He won’t fight this year.”

The response was interesting, as when the toe injury happened, many sources indicated that the injury wouldn’t take too long to heal. But McGregor fans who might be heartbroken by the UFC boss shutting down talks of the Irishman’s plans to return later in the year may have now found a ray of light!

‘The Notorious’ took to X in response to White’s statements and posted, “Ah Dana, December is the date! Bring the calendar year home with a winning event! Come on now, what’s this? I am off to altitude next month to prepare. DECEMBER! Tell Dana and UFC WE WANT DECEMBER! WE DESERVE DECEMBER!”

For now, all eyes are on December, with a mix of hope and anticipation. Could Conor McGregor make his grand comeback before the year ends? Will Dana White and the UFC deliver the year-end spectacle that McGregor is rallying for? Only time will tell. But according to Michael Chandler, he has shifted his focus over to what other fights he can take in the UFC!

‘Iron’ is looking at other options with McGregor’s fight still up in the air 

Michael Chandler has been on the sidelines waiting for the McGregor fight since their appearance as coaches on TUF 31 together. But despite the slew of delays, Chandler remains optimistic. He recently shared his thoughts with ‘Lucky Block’, stating that he still believes the McGregor fight will happen. However, he’s not putting all his eggs in that basket.

Chandler confessed, “The most realistic option for me if you look at the landscape and you consider everything is Charles Oliveira, I love the rematch with Charles. I think it’s a great fight to get the fans pumped up.”

The two have already clashed for the vacant UFC lightweight championship back in 2021 at UFC 262, where Oliveira had his hands raised after finishing ‘Iron’ in the second round. But Chandler had put in an impressive performance in the first, making the re-match an intriguing affair. For now, one thing is clear: Michael Chandler is ready to fight. The only question now is, who will be standing across from him in the Octagon when that happens? Conor McGregor or Charles Oliveira? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!