Conor McGregor has confirmed he is set to return to the UFC, declaring “the rumours are true” as plans firm for a blockbuster comeback during July in Las Vegas.
The controversial Irish superstar, who has not fought since suffering a shocking leg break in 2021, says he is ready to “save fighting again” after completing his anti-doping ban.
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McGregor had been slated to face Michael Chandler in June 2024, only for the bout to collapse when he was forced out with an injury.
Many believed that he would never fight in the UFC again, but according to reports, discussions between McGregor and the UFC are well advanced.
Now, the former two division champ has released a statement hinting that a deal has been reached.
“The rumours are true!” McGregor wrote on social media.
“Mr. Confidence returns to save fighting again! Call your grandma! Nanny we did it!
“Watch and pay me. F*** you pay me. You fat Irish p**** you don’t have my money I put your brain to sleep.”
Long-time fans of MMA have heard all the promises before, but this marks the clearest statement yet from the Irishman, whose comeback has been teased and derailed many times over the years.
INSIDER REVEALS DATE
MMA insider and journalist Ariel Helwani reports the fight is expected to go ahead “barring something disastrous” happening.
During an episode of The Ariel Helwani Showthis week, Helwani said: “This is what I continue to say.
“The master of good timing, the beneficiary of the best timing in the history of the sport is [McGregor].
“I told you about the meeting two weeks ago, I told you it went well, Petsey [Carroll] told you it went well.
“At this point, I think it would be safe to say it would be a disastrous situation, something disastrous would have had to have happened if he’s not fighting on July 11.”
Helwani added: “They [the UFC] need this now more than ever, they need this guy on that [International Fight Week] card.”
A source also revealed to SunSport recently that early negotiations between the UFC brass and McGregor’s team were “positive”.
The news comes following McGregor being last week officially cleared to make his return after completing an anti-doping suspension.
McGregor was suspended for 18 months for missing three drug tests in 2024, which violates Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) policy.
Outside of competition, McGregor was also found liable in a lengthy civil case for assaulting Nikita Hand at a hotel in 2018.
WHO WILL McGREGOR FIGHT?
While the date and location of his next fight appear to be falling into place, one massive question remains – who will Mystic Mac fight?
Michael Chandler seems the obvious pick for many, but with the American already booked to fight Mauricio Ruffy in June on the White House card, he appears to be out of the running.
Some believe “Notorious” could be headed for an all-Irish showdown with Ian Garry after Dana White appeared to hint at the matchup earlier this week.
“With Conor coming back, now you have Ian Garry and Conor McGregor,” a reporter asked White. “Are we coming back to Ireland soon?”
“That’s a great question … definitely not with those fights,” White replied.
“But yes, I love Ireland too. Would love to go back to Dublin, do a show there – and we’re definitely taking Zuffa Boxing to Ireland too.
“But the Conor–Garry fight won’t be in Ireland.”
Whether he fumbled his words or something more, the comments have fuelled speculation from fight fans – particularly with both men currently without fights booked and competing at welterweight.
The other two big names that keep getting mentioned are Max Holloway and Jorge Masvidal.
Earlier in the week, Holloway said that he’d fight McGregor at any weight.
“I know a lot of people are worried about the weight and this and that,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel.
“If he doesn’t want to cut weight then I don’t want to cut weight. We can do it at any weight to be honest. It’s just about getting it back.”
On Thursday morning, Ariel Helwani added further fuel to the fire, revealing Holloway is currently viewed as the “frontrunner” for the fight.
The pair first met back in 2013, with McGregor earning a unanimous decision victory – making a potential sequel more than a decade on a great selling point.
Meanwhile, plenty of fans see Masvidal as the more logical option for a comeback fight.
“Gamebred” has been pushing hard for a return of his own, recently revealing he sought a spot on an MVP card before being knocked back.
“I got offered to fight on this card, I had a very good, nice offer from Netflix – but UFC had other plans for me,” Masvidal said on his Death Row MMA podcast.
“They said ‘No, we’re going to use you’ and I’ll break the news on this podcast who they want me to fight and when and where.”
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“I was talking to [MVP co-founder] Nakisa [Bidarian], I get along very well with Nakisa and got nothing but love for him for even thinking of me and calling me up.
“It just didn’t work out. I had the first offer before they gave it to Nate [Diaz], it was me and I desperately wanted to take the fight.”